Orange Coeurs A La Creme with Strawberry Raspberry Sauce

Vanessa found this recipe online and Coeur a la Creme is something we had been meaning to try. In that it is meant to be heart-shaped, Valentine's Day seemed like a better-than-usual time to execute this dessert.

I really loved this. It was rich and creamy, while dainty enough to still be light. The berry acidity cut through the creamy richness like a dream.

We had ordered the special molds (which have holes in the bottom to let the watery dairy bits drain out) on Tuesday, expecting that they would arrive by Saturday. Well, they didn't, and it put us in panic mode. No one around here had the molds either. We settled on some heart-shaped silicone baking cups, probably designed for muffins or something. We pokes some holes in the bottom and cracked on with it. I'm happy to report that everything worked out just fine. This is lovely and a nice cap to an evening of great food.

⅓ cup 1% cottage cheese
⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (or soft goat's cheese)
¾ cup plain low-fat yogurt
5 ounces strawberries, quartered (1 cup)
3 ounces raspberries (2/3 cup)
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur
Special equipment: cheesecloth, 6 (3-inch) heart-shaped coeur à la crème molds

Cut 6 (8- by- 6-inch) rectangles of cheesecloth without unfolding it. Rinse with cold water and wring dry. Line molds with damp cheesecloth, allowing it to hang over sides, and put molds in a shallow baking pan.

Purée cottage cheese with 1/3 cup sugar and zest in a food processor or blender until very smooth, then add Neufchatel cheese and purée until smooth. Add yogurt and pulse just until blended, then divide mixture among molds. Cover tops of molds with a sheet of plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 8 hours.

Purée berries with liqueur and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor, then force through a fine-mesh sieve set into a bowl, discarding seeds.

Invert molds onto dessert plates and remove cheesecloth. Serve coeurs à la crème drizzled with sauce.