The perfect cheese to complement a fine dessert has to be fromage blanc. With a dash of sweetener like maple syrup or honey, it creates a delicious dip with fresh berries, but there are many other recipes that you can enjoy with fromage blanc. You may set out to find fromage blanc at your local grocery store but your best bet to find this delectable dairy product is at a gourmet shop.

Fromage blanc has a consistency between yogurt and ricotta cheese. The French love fromage blanc, which translates to "white cheese." They eat it in a variety of ways from a wonderful accent to desserts to a tasty accompaniment for crusty artisan bread. The French eat fromage blanc much as Americans eat cream cheese - spread on breads or bagels. In Belgium, people nosh on their own version of the American grilled cheese - fromage blanc served open face in a hot sandwich. Fromage blanc can be folded together with some chopped fresh herbs - think chives and parsley - and mixed with cream to give it a softer consistency that is just right for smearing on slices of fresh bread. Another wonderful idea is to serve fromage blanc with berries and crepes as a stunning brunch dish to wow your friends and loved ones.

Fromage blanc has no rind and offers a creamy texture, a white color, and the scent of milk. It tends to have a sweet flavor that may or may not be acidic. Because it mixes well with other ingredients, fromage blanc is a perfect base for a sauce, chopped herbs, and complementary fruits. Some people like to use fromage blanc in place of yogurt or cottage cheese in their recipes because of its taste.

Like all cheeses, fromage blanc is a powerhouse of calcium and protein, but it also offers B12 and B2 vitamins. Fromage blanc can be made from skim, low fat, or whole fat milk, depending upon the brand you purchase. But because it is a soft cheese, a large portion of fromage blanc consists of water, so it tends to be less fattening than other cheeses in the grocery store.

Fromage blanc is made in a similar fashion to hard cheeses, but the key difference is that its curds are not allowed to become solid. Instead, the cheese is stirred to give it its soft trademark consistency. In France, fromage blanc is sold in the yogurt section of the grocery store, because it has the same texture as yogurt and is eaten in a similar fashion.

Some chefs like to experiment with fromage blanc and use it in place of other cheeses like ricotta in favorite recipes. For example, fromage blanc can be substituted in stuffed shells and other Italian specialties or used in cheesecake instead of the traditional cream cheese. It can even be used with a bit of a sweetener and whipped with an electric mixer to give a light touch to cupcakes.
However you choose to eat fromage blanc, you will surely fall in love with its light, creamy texture and delicious taste.