“This is a pretty and romantic dessert. You will need heart-shaped moulds, which have tiny drainage holes, and cheesecloth.
The Spanish Picota cherry compote can be used for other dishes: to add to porridge, to top muesli, waffles or pancakes or simply in yoghurt.” – Kerstin Rodgers*

Serves 2
Ingredients
150g mascarpone
100g double cream
50g icing sugar
A few drops of almond essence
For the compote:
500g Spanish Picota cherries, chopped, leaving some whole, pitted
70g caster sugar
Cup Cherry brandy
Juice of half a lemon

Method
For the coeur à la créme:
1 Mix all the cream heart ingredients (mascarpone, cream, vanilla, icing sugar) together by whipping gently (not overmuch as mascarpone easily turns to butter).
2 Dampen the cheese cloth and line your dish with it, pressing the cloth into the corners of the heart.
3 Scoop the mixture into the cheese cloth lined dish and smooth the top. Give the mould a little bang on the worktop. Place on a saucer in the fridge to drain for a few hours.

For the compote:
4 Warm the cherries in a medium sized saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice until they are bubbling hot. Let it cool to lukewarm and add the cherry brandy.
5 Unmould the cream heart carefully, gently peeling off the cheesecloth, and flip it over onto the dish.
6 Surround the heart with warm berries. Serve.

*Recipe created by Kerstin Rodgers Ms Marmite Lover