Equipment
Ingredients
Whipped Cheese Base
- 400 g fromage blanc, chilled
- 150 ml heavy cream, very cold
- 50 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 5 g vanilla bean paste
Passion Fruit Coulis
- 4 passion fruit, halved, pulp scooped
- 15 g powdered sugar, sifted
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 465 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 27 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 22 g
- Sodium
- 266 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 42 mg
- Potassium
- 225 mg
- Calcium
- 117 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 25 mg
- Phosphorus
- 226 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 268 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.13 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 7 mcg
- Water
- 50 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the cold heavy cream in a mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to whip until soft peaks form.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the chilled fromage blanc, 50g sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste until completely smooth.
Using a spatula, gently fold the whipped heavy cream into the fromage blanc mixture to create a light, aerated base.
Divide the airy cheese mixture evenly among the serving glasses and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour to set.
While the cheese sets, combine the fresh scooped passion fruit pulp with the remaining 15g of powdered sugar in a small bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Remove the serving glasses from the refrigerator and spoon the raw passion fruit coulis evenly over the top of each chilled cheese portion immediately before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Always check your fromage blanc for excess whey. If it appears watery, line a sieve with a paper towel or cheesecloth and let it drain briefly. Excess moisture will thin the dessert and cause it to separate.
- For a purely smooth coulis, you can briefly blend and strain the passion fruit to remove the seeds. However, leaving the seeds intact adds a classic, pleasant textural crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft cheese.
- Ensure the heavy cream is exceptionally cold before whipping. You can even chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes beforehand to achieve the best aeration.
- Fontainebleau is a traditional variation of this concept utilizing a specialized draining process for the cheese and cream mixture. Simply folding whipped cream into smooth fromage blanc yields a remarkably similar, quick, and delightful airy texture without overnight draining.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Best eaten fresh as the whipped cream may begin to separate and lose aeration over time.
Troubleshooting
Cheese mixture is grainy or split
Cause: Over-whipping the heavy cream or overly vigorous folding
Fix: Gently fold in a small splash of cold, unwhipped heavy cream to help smooth the emulsion, though perfect texture cannot be fully restored
Prevention: Whip cream only to soft, floppy peaks and fold gently just until combined
Cheese base is watery and lacks volume
Cause: Fromage blanc contained too much moisture
Fix: Cannot be fixed once mixed
Prevention: Strain the fromage blanc through cheesecloth for 30 minutes before mixing if it appears watery in the container
Cultural Context
Fromage blanc is a staple fresh cheese in French households, often enjoyed simply with sugar, honey, or fruit for breakfast or a light dessert. Whipping it with heavy cream and pairing it with vibrant tropical fruits like passion fruit elevates it from everyday comfort food to a sophisticated, effortless dessert, echoing the light, cloud-like textures famous in classic French dairy preparations.
