Coeur à la Crème for your Valentine

    When my mother-in-law gave me this French Apilco porcelain heart some 20 years ago, I don't think she realized she was adding fuel to an uncontrollable  fire.  Since then, I have had an all-consuming infatuation with white French porcelain.

The majority of my porcelain has been purchased through discount retailers such as TJ Maxx, Homegoods, and Marshall's where, amazingly, it has all cost me much less than it would have in France.  Brands such as Pillivuyt, Apilco, Revol and Bernardaud have been found frequently, and occasionally even marked down on the close-out shelves.

The high-fired porcelain bakes beautifully, cleans up easily and resists chipping.  The Heart of Cream dessert was made in a mold that is lined with cheesecloth, allowing moisture to drain.  If you don't have a mold such as this available to you, there are other options; a large, hand-held strainer would be a possibility, as would small aluminum tuna or pineapple cans that have had holes punched or hammered into the bottoms for drainage.  You could easily fill 6 to 8 little cans for individual servings.  Any other suggestions?

                                      Coeur à la Crème

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• Seeds a a vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups heavy cream

Sauce aux Fraises: 
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, preferably organic, divided
• 1/2 cup red currant jelly
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or brandy
1.  Have cream cheese at room temperature.  Place in a food processor with the confectioners' sugar, vanilla seeds or extract and 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream.  Process until blended and smooth, scraping cheese from sides of bowl.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Whip the cream until thick but not stiff; fold into cheese mixture.  Cut a large square of cheesecloth, dip in cold water and squeeze out.  Line a 4-cup heart-shaped mold or eight individual heart-shaped molds with cheesecloth.  Fill with the cream mixture and fold ends of the cloth over the top.  Refrigerate overnight.
2.  Just before serving, make the sauce.  Place 1 cup of the strawberries, currant jelly and liquor in a food processor and process until smooth.  Unmold the cream heart onto a plate and remove the cheesecloth.  Arrange the remaining fresh berries on top and around the molded cream.  Drizzle with the sauce.