In What Shall We Have for Dinner? Catherine Dickens has a recipe for this dessert with Crème au Marasquin
This recipe is from Christmas with Dickens, published by CICO Books (£9.99) Photography © CICO Books
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Charlotte Russe
This cold dessert made with layers of ladyfingers, fruit and flavoured cream, is believed to be named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III
Prep: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr
plus 6-7 hours to set
Serves 10–12
ARTICLE_INGREDIENTS_TITLE
- 10 leaves gelatine
- 450ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla pod
- 5 free-range egg yolks
- 2 level tbsp sugar
- 400g soft berries, puréed (or you could use any stewed and puréed fruit, such as cherries, plums, apricots, apples, gooseberries, or pears)
- 1 tbsp fruit liqueur, such as maraschino, framboise, or cassis (optional)
- 400ml whipping cream
- 600ml dark red liquid jelly
- 18 Ladies' fingers
ARTICLE_METHODS_TITLE
Step 1
Put the gelatine leaves in plenty of cold water to soak for 8–10 mins. Put the milk in a pan with the vanilla pod, warm without boiling, and let it infuse for 5 mins.
Step 2
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Remove the vanilla and heat the milk to just below boiling. Pour it over the yolks and beat with a balloon whisk.
Step 3
Squeeze excess water from the gelatine and add the gelatine to the custard. Return the custard to the pan and heat very gently until it thickens. Do not boil. Let it cool, then fold in the fruit purée and the liqueur. When cold but not set, whip the cream and fold into the custard.
Step 4
Line the cake tin with clingfilm, then line the pan with the ladies’ fingers, sugar side outermost, packing together as tightly as possible. Fill the centre with the crème. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge to set. This will take at least 3–4 hours.
Step 5
To make the jelly, start about 3 hours before you want to add it, so it is liquid but as cold as possible, without being set. You can either pour on half, let it set, then decorate with fruit and add the other half; or pour on all the jelly, let it set, and decorate with fruit.
Step 6
Give the jelly at least another 3 hours in the fridge to set before unmoulding the dessert.
