Coeur à la Crème

I am amused when guests comment how light the cream is—this is pure sleight of hand, as the ingredients are extremely rich. If you are serving this, skip the cheese course.

The aim is to whip the white ingredients into a smooth homogenous cream. Process the mascarpone, cream cheese and sugar, then briefly whiz in the other ingredients, scraping down sides of the processor.

Line the molds with wet muslin or cheesecloth, leaving enough to fold over the top so they are completely enclosed, and place them in a rimmed dish or tray. (The muslin can be put through the washing machine and reused, but it does shrink, so the first time you use it cut it out very generously to allow for this.) Mound up the filling in the molds—it will gently sink as it drains—and set the tray aside in the fridge for about 8 hours. Then remove and carefully invert the molds, peel away the muslin, and serve surrounded with fruits. Dust with confectioners' sugar if you wish.

MAKE IT LOOK GREAT

If you would like to make a little fruit sauce to drizzle round the fruit, purée 1/4 pound of fresh berries with 1 tbsp of syrup (in France you can buy bottles of cane syrup, or make your own by simmering an equal weight of water and sugar for 5-10 minutes). Check flavoring and correct with more syrup or a little lemon juice. When presenting the dessert, put the coulis around the base of the heart, not on to it (to avoid the operating-theater look).

From A Table in the Tarn by Orlando Murrin. Text copyright © 2009 by Orlando Murrin and Peter Steggall; photographs copyright © 2009 by Jonathan Buckley. Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.