And the first pizza is....

Pizza #1: Coeur à la crème and roasted tomato and garlic jam. 

Coeur à la crème is french for "heart with cream. This classic spreadable cheese mixture is made in a special heart-shaped mold with holes in it. Cream cheese is mixed with sour cream or whipping cream, and placed into the cheesecloth lined mold. It is then refrigerated (overnight ideally), during which time the whey (liquid) drains out through the basket of perforated mold. To serve, unmold and serve with fruit, crackers, or crudités.  

It’s pretty much an open slate to add any flavors you want. I’ve seen recipes with lemon zest added, some with vanilla and sugar, and some topped with chutney.  Mine however had fresh herbs mixed in to produce something similar to homemade Boursin cheese. 


I had a boyfriend years ago that used to love to put the stuff in mashed potatoes.  If only I knew how easy is was to make back then, we'd have saved some serious money.  

And please don't be turned off from coeur à la crème just because you don't have a heart mold (or, like me, don't want to spend the money on one). Just line a 6-inch sieve with the cheesecloth, and proceed as your recipe directs. However, if you do want to continue to clutter your kitchen with things you might only use once, they can be found at Sur la Table and Amazon and appear to cost about $3-$16 depending on the size of the mold.

The roasted tomato and garlic jam came from time in the kitchen with a great friend out in San Francisco.  I was out there last August to help her cater a wedding, and one of the late night food offerings was grilled cheese with this amazing jam.  We were lucky enough to have leftovers, which I lugged home and just recently opened for pizza night with my little cousins.  You have no clue how good this is.  No clue. 

While not the most beautiful pizza to look at, it was delicious! And the crust was great.  I'm going to give it a few more pizzas before I consider it my 'go to' method, but I have high hopes.  

Creamy, yet packed with flavor, I highly recommend this flavor combination.  Highly.  Perhaps soon you'll be able to purchase said jam from a small local Massachusetts based business (hint hint).....

If you want to make this at home and don't have a jam of this nature, just make sure to use something other then 'plain' pizza sauce.   You need something that packs more of a flavor punch to pair with the creaminess of the cheese.

Next up, something that requires more thought then just what's easy and/or I have in the fridge. 

This month is going to be fun.