Looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert? Try this delicious and simple-to-make White Chocolate Coeur à la Crème recipe.  The traditional French coeur à la crème (heart of cream) recipe—which is considered a  rustic country dessert popularized by the chef Marie Antoine Carême—used fromage frais (fresh cheese) or fromage blanc (white cheese)  for its base.

These desserts were made in special heart-shaped molds with little holes in the bottom, which allowed the moist cheese to drain. I don’t own these molds so I used ramekins instead. In America, the traditional French cheeses are usually replaced with cream cheese, which requires no draining. Of course, the addition of white chocolate is not traditional, but it adds a wonderfully complex flavor to this dessert, which is otherwise a bit bland.

Other desserts of mine that make great Valentine’s Day desserts: Strawberry-Mousse-Filled Chocolate Sponge Cake; Angel Food Cake With Raspberry Sauce; Raspberry Marbled Cheese Cake.

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For the Coeur à la Crème

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature, which allows it to be creamed more easily.

Cut and dampen 8 pieces of cheese cloth large enough to fit eight 1⁄2-cup ramekins or heart molds, leaving some overhang. Line the ramekins with the damp cheesecloth pieces. Because the cream cheese does not need to drain, the cheesecloth may seem superfluous. I have found, however, the it makes unmolding the White Chocolate Coeur à la Crème infinitely easier.

Melt the white chocolate in a small saucepan over, but not in, simmering water. Stir the chocolate constantly, and be vigilant because it can burn easily.

Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until it is very smooth.

Gradually sift in and beat in the confectioners’ sugar until well incorporated. The sifting helps avoid lumps.

(My recipe tends to be quite sweet, so you may want to adjust the amount of confectioners’ sugar to your taste.) Beat in 1⁄4 cup of the heavy cream, plus the melted white chocolate.

Place the bowl over, not in, simmering water, and continue to beat it until the mixture is warm and the confectioners’ sugar loses it raw taste. Let the mixture cool completely, then beat in the the vanilla.

Taste the mixture to be certain there are no lumps of cream cheese. If there are, force the mixture through a sieve.

Beat the remaining 1 1⁄2 cups of heavy cream in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks are formed.

Stir 1⁄3 of the whipped cream into the cooled cream cheese mixture. Carefully fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins.

Fold the overhanging cheesecloth over the tops.

Gently press the mixture into the ramekins with the back of a spoon. Chill the cream hearts for at least 8 hours or overnight until they are set.

Unfold the overhanging cheese cloth, and gently pull the cream hearts from the ramekins by the overhang. Invert the cream hearts onto attractive serving plates, and carefully remove and discard the cheesecloth.

For the Raspberry Coulis

Place the raspberries, the sugar, lemon juice, and the brandy in the bowl of a food processor. Process until very smooth.

Force the purée through a sieve to remove the seeds.

Spoon the raspberry coulis around each White Chocolate Coeur à la Crème, and decoratively spoon some over the tops.

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