The Charlotte, this cold dish, without cooking, is due to Antonin Carême. This Chocolate Charlotte that is none other than a pastry entremet is one of the most beautiful desserts when you want to please everyone, and so typically French !
First here are the different Ingredients you will need to prepare the Chocolate Charlotte that serves for 6 to 8 People
- 24 ladyfingers
- 250 g (8 ounces) very fine dark chocolate
- 200 ml (3/4 cup) whipping cream
- 50 ml (3 tbsp) milk
- 100 g (3 1/3 ounces) butter
- 4 free range eggs
- 30 g (2 tbsp) icing sugar
- 100 ml (3 1/2 oz) cold coffee or orange juice (as you prefer) .
Now, here are the different stages you will need to follow to make this Chocolate Charlotte with a 30 minutes preparation time and a at least 6 hours refrigeration time
Lightly butter a charlotte mold and have a circle of parchment paper put on the bottom of your mold. Pour the coffee or orange juice, into a shallow dish. Dip without too moisten the ladyfingers one after another and completely line the bottom and sides of your mold, arranging them side curved outwards.
Separate the egg white from the yolks. Pour the chocolate broken into small pieces in a bowl placed in a water bath on medium heat. Add the cold milk and let it melt completely before smoothing with a wooden spatula.
Maintaining the water bath, add gradually the butter in pieces and stir, then one after another add the egg yolks. Wisk this cream for a few seconds or until smooth and glossy, then remove pan from heat and let cool.
Wipe the cream well chilled. Mount the egg whites until stiff, adding at the end the icing sugar to make them nicely stiff.
Gently fold the two cream preparations into your chocolate batter until smooth and homogeneous.
Fill the mold with this chocolate mousse to the top. Put a layer of coffee soaked biscuits on top. Cover with a plate, place a small geese on it and store your charlotte in the refrigerator, overnight.
To serve, invert the mold onto a serving plate and remove the parchment paper.
Decorate the top of the charlotte with chocolate chips if you like. You can accompany your charlotte with a vanilla custard.
