Savory Coeur a la Creme

Oh I know what you are thinking.  What in the world is a girl from Everman, Texas making a dish that sounds straight from France? The closest I have ever gotten to French food is French Fries!

After watching Ina make this dish so many times, I just had to try it.  I mean it is cheese. Who in the world doesn't like cheese, crackers and wine? It looked so simple on television.  I thought it would be a great appetizer for company or at a company potluck.

I had never tried chutney before, but let me tell you I am hooked. What a wonderful jar of goodness!  I think this recipe would even be better with Jalapeno Jelly. I mean that would make it Texan, right?!?  Heath even loved this "dip".  It makes a lot, so keep that in mind.

What I learned making Savory Coeur a la Creme:

• Think ahead...as with many of Ina's dishes cream cheese needs to be at room temperature.
• To make it Texan, try Jalapeno Jelly.
• Use entertaining crackers, not saltines or Ritz. Good crackers are like jewelry, it jazzes everything up.
• If you don't have cheese cloth, you can use paper towels. 
• A sieve is a handheld sifter.  It looks like a colander, but much smaller, metal holes.
• Make this dish on a Thursday night.  When you get home Friday evening from work, you have a nice appetizer to pair with wine. What a great way to end the week!

I hope you like this dish as much as I did. Wee wee!

All credit to Food Network - Barefoot Contessa.


Ingredients
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

Directions
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.