Charlotte Russe
I made a Charlotte Russe! It’s a classic french dessert created by Marie-Antoine Careme in honor of his former employer’s daughter Princess Charlotte and his current Russian employer (at the time), Czar Alexander. Charlotte Russe seems quite simple to make–Bavarian cream set in a mold lined with lady fingers. However, it was a little more involved than I anticipated (lots of cleaning bowls only to dirty them again, and a lot of folding in of ingredients with more of a gentle wrist than I’m used to). In the end, I thought my Charlotte Russe looked as cute as a button. It tasted even better. It was creamy, sweet and boozy. Not like a button at all.
The leading lady, so to speak, of Charlotte Russe is the Bavarian cream. Bavarian cream is similar to pastry cream except it contains gelatin for stabilization instead of cornstarch or flour. It also usually contains a liqueur for an added kick. Since I am currently studying creams, sauces and custards I had to give Charlotte Russe a try. I got this delicious recipe from Julia Reed and the New York Times. You can find their original recipe here.
I began by soaking gelatin powder in milk for 5 minutes. After that, I heated the milk until the gelatin dissolved.
I set the milk/gelatin mixture aside, and in a bowl attached to a standing mixer, I whipped up cream and sugar.
I set the whipped cream aside, and using a hand held mixer I whisked egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. I then stirred in bourbon and the milk/gelatin mixture.
I then folded the whipped cream into the bourbon/egg yolk mixture.
Once all of the whipped cream was incorporated I cleaned the bowl and whisk attachment. Using this now clean bowl, I whisked the egg whites until I reached soft peaks. Then, I folded the egg whites into the whipped cream/egg yolk mixture.
I spooned this luscious, boozy Bavarian cream into a springform pan lined with lady fingers (sides as well as bottom), and refrigerated it for about 4 hours.
Once properly chilled and ready to serve, I carefully unmolded it onto a cake plate, I topped with berries, and I tied a ribbon around it.
- ½ cup Milk
- 2 tablespoons unflavored Gelatin
- 4 cups Heavy Cream
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) Sugar
- 5 Large Eggs, separated
- ½ cup Bourbon or Brandy
- fresh Berries
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) softened Unsalted Butter
- 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 3 Large Eggs, separated
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (105 g) granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup (83 g) All-Purpose Flour, sifted
- ¾ cup (90 g) Confectiioner's Sugar, in a shaker or sieve
- Place milk in a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Once softened, heat the milk/gelatin mixture until gelatin has dissolved. If there are a few gelatin bits remaining then just strain them out. Set the milk mixture aside to cool.
- In a bowl connected to a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the cream with 1 cup of the sugar until firm peaks form. Set aside.
- Place egg yolks in a large bowl. Using a hand-held mixer, gradually beat in remaining sugar. Beat at high speed several minutes, until mixture is thick and pale yellow. Stir in milk/gelatin mixture and bourbon. With a rubber spatula, fold in 1/3 of the whipped cream to lighten the mixture; then fold in the remaining whipped cream.
- Clean the bowl and whisk used for the whipped cream, and then beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into cream mixture. Line an 8-cup charlotte mold or springform with ladyfingers (preferably homemade), spoon in the cream mixture and chill until set, about 4 hours.
- When ready to serve, carefully unmold the Charlotte Russe onto a cake stand. Top with berries and carefully tie a pretty ribbon around it.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line with parchment paper or butter two baking sheets. Dust with flour and shake off excess.
- Place the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and using a hand-held mixer gradually beat in granulated sugar at high speed until thick and pale yellow. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a bowl connected to a standing mixer and fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Scoop a fourth of the egg whites onto the egg-yolk mixture, sift a fourth of the flour on top, and with a rubber spatula, fold ingredients until partly blended. Repeat until all the egg whites are incorporated, but don't try to blend the mixture too thoroughly (the batter should remain light and puffy).
- Using a spoon or pastry bag, spread batter in 4-by-1 1/2-inch strips spaced 1 inch apart onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
- Bake in middle and upper third of oven about 20 minutes, until very pale brown and slightly crusty outside. Remove immediately from baking sheets and cool on a rack.
- Standing mixer with whisk attachment
- Hand-held mixer
- 2 baking sheets
- Medium bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Springform pan or Charlotte mold
- Pastry bag
- Wire rack
- A pretty ribbon
