An Italian twist on a classic French Valentine’s Day Dessert
Author: Paula Barbarito-Levitt
Recipe type: Dolce
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
1½ cup of high quality ricotta
8 ounces of mascarpone
½ cup cold heavy cream
3 Tbs. confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
grated peel of ½ large orange
High quality preserves or fresh berries
Large piece of culinary cheesecloth soaked in lemon water and wrung dry
Porcelain Coeur de la Creme mold - 6 inch
Chilled medium sized mixing bowl and beaters
Instructions
Place a strainer over a mixing bowl, add the ricotta and press through the strainer using a spatula and/or table spoon, be sure to scrape the residual ricotta from the bottom of the strainer. This will help to smooth out the texture in a way which is not possible from beating it alone.
Line the porcelain heart mold with the lemon treated cheesecloth, allowing tit to cover the interior with enough excess cheesecloth to be folded over the top of the filled mold.
Add the sifted confectioner’s sugar, orange peel and vanilla to the prepared ricotta and mix together thoroughly.
Using a hand held electric mixer add the mascarpone and beat a few minutes until blended well, set aside.
Whip the heavy cream in the chilled bowl with the chilled beaters until stiff peaks are formed. Fold the whipped cream into the ricotta - mascarpone mixture until no uneven streaks appear.
Spoon the mixture into the lined mold, smoothing it out with a spoon. Fold the excess cheesecloth over the top of the mixture. Place the filled mold on a shallow pan and put into the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to serve, have a decorative plate ready for the cream heart. Unfold the cheesecloth from the top, wipe any residual liquid or whey from the mold and invert onto the serving plate. Spoon a bit of the conserve on the top of the heart. Serve on individual dessert plates, including some of the preserves with each portion.
Recipe by LaBellaSorella at http://labellasorella.com/2018/02/coeur-de-la-creme/