Savory Coeur a la Creme--Barefoot Bloggers Bonus Recipe

This month our Barefoot Bloggers bonus recipe was selected by the wonderful Anne at Anne Strawberry. Anne chose Ina's Savory Coeur a la Creme, a spin-off of the Couer a la Creme with Raspberries and Grand Marnier Sauce we made this past summer. Basically it is the same recipe without the sugar and vanilla and with some salt and pepper. I watched the Barefoot Contessa episode where Ina made this, ("Say Cheese"), and I love the description of the show: "Ina's shaking up her top five everyday cheeses and experimenting with new ideas that really think outside the cheese box." Our girl Ina is getting wild with the cheese! I just made a half portion of the recipe in my small fine-mesh sieve and used low-fat cream cheese to lighten it up a bit. Ina recommends a brand of chutney she likes to spread on top but I decided to make my own, using a Tyler Florence recipe that I will be posting as my recipe pick for Tyler Florence Fridays tomorrow. (I love it when I can multi-task). 

You can find the recipe at the Food Network site here.

Savory Coeur a la Creme
Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten
(Makes 8-10 Servings)

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bottle chutney (recommended: Cross and Blackwell Major Grey's)
Crackers, for serving

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until it is firm like whipped cream. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick.

Line a 6-inch coeur a la creme mold or 6-inch sieve with a few layers of cheesecloth, allowing the excess to drape over the sides. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Fold the excess cheesecloth over the top of the cream. Place the mold on a plate or suspend the sieve over a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.


When ready to serve, unmold the creme upside down onto a plate and pour the chutney over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Serve chilled with crackers.

Notes/Results: Although not something I would make often, this light and creamy concoction is just as good savory as it is sweet. Since I am a big fan of both lemon and pepper, I added a bit more of both than the recipe called for and really liked the flavor. The chutney adds a nice touch with its sweet-spicy taste and I really liked the couer a la creme spread on the whole-grain crackers. This was a hard dish for me to make really "pretty" in pictures, since I was just using a round sieve lined with cheesecloth as a mold but it is tasty. I also think it would be interesting to try this with an herb pesto on top in place of the chutney. 

Thanks Anne for a fun pick! I was happy to try something I enjoyed as a sweet dessert changed to a more savory pupu. You can see which Barefoot Bloggers made this optional recipe and what they thought about it at the Barefoot Bloggers site here.