What I did with 400g of Crème Fraîche

The store at where we stay sometimes give really good bargains which I cannot resist, for example 5 packets of bacon for 25 kr (about 1 SGD per packet), and recently a tub of creme fraiche for only 10kr. Then comes my dilemma, how shall I use it?

As per Wikipedia, 'Crème fraîche (French pronunciation: [kʁɛm fʁɛʃ], "fresh cream") is a soured cream containing about 28% butterfat and with a pH of around 4.5. It issoured with bacterial culture, but is less sour and thicker than sour cream^{[citation needed]}.

Originally a French product, it is available in many countries. It is traditional to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.'

In most recipe, sour cream and creme fraiche are interchangeable. However, I wanted to use up all the creme fraiche and fortunately, these two found on the web-blog and at one of my favorite baking site www.joyofbaking.com came through for me this time. The portions are kept mostly the same except for some changes and comments in italics.

Part 1 - Extracted from Joy Of Baking Graham Cracker Crumb Tart (which uses about 100g of creme fraiche)

This is one good non-bake version of tart. The filling is absolutely divine!

Ingredients
Tart Shell
5 - 6 tablespoons(70 - 85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups (125 grams) graham cracker crumbs (I used digestive biscuits instead)
2 tablespoons(30 grams) granulated white sugar

Cream Filling:
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
4 ounces (113 grams) white chocolate, chopped and melted
1/4 cup (or 100g) sour cream or creme fraiche

Garnish:
Any combination of berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries) or other fruit such as slices of peaches, plums, bananas, or kiwi. (If you are using frozen berries, put them on just about 10 minutes before you serve as they tend to bleed onto the tart as they thaw.)

1. Crushed the digestive biscuits in a food processor till they are fine, then in a mixing bowl, add the melted butter and sugar. Press the biscuit mix onto the bottom and up the sides a tart pan with removable bottom. Place the tart shells in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.
   
   
2. Melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese (should be at room temperature) until fluffy and smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes). Add the melted white chocolate and then the creme fraiche, beating until you have a creamy smooth mixture. Evenly divide the cream in the tart shell smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. To serve: Top with fresh berries or cut up fruit.
   Note: You can make and refrigerate the the tart shell and filling a few days in advance but to prevent the crust from softening, do not assemble the tarts until the day they are being served.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Read more:http://joyofbaking.com/GrahamCrackerTartsWithCreamFilling.html#ixzz0TwyOiUTS

Part 2 - Extracted from Hungry Cravings Lemon Creme Fraiche Cake (which uses about 300g of creme fraiche)

This cake is really good! Its light and fluffy yet creamy, taste a bit like those Japanese Cotton cheese cake - will make this again the next time creme fraiche is available!

Ingredients
120g unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
300g cake flour (You can use 240g plain flour with 60g corn starch to replace if you can't find cake flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Grated zest of 1 lemon
5 large eggs, at room temperature
300g sugar
¾ cup or 300g crème fraîche, at room temperature
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius. Butter a 9×3-inch round cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir the lemon zest into the flour mixture.
3. In a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, mix the eggs and sugar on high for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy and doubled in volume. 
4. Add the crème fraîche and mix on low until just combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the butter, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the lemon juice, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. 
5. Transfer to the cake pan and spread evenly. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the edges of the cake start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and finish cooling completely.
6. Dust with plenty of powdered sugar, cut into portions, and serve. (I didn't dust it with icing sugar as I find it sweet enough)