Recipe - Chestnut Charlotte

12 ounce Ladyfingers [also known as
sponge fingers]
20 ounce Creme fraiche
14 ounce Marrons glaces
1 Wineglassful rum
1 Glass water
4 ounce Sugar

Soak the ladyfingers in a mixture of equal parts rum and water.

Line the bottom and sides of a charlotte mold with the biscuits. Whip the
creme fraiche with the sugar until stiff. Add the crumbled [but not
crushed] marrons glaces to twothirds of the whipped cream [reserving the
last third: translator's insertion]. Place successive layers of chestnut
cream and soaked ladyfingers in the mold: a layer of chestnut cream, a
layer of ladyfingers, a layer of chestnut cream. End with a layer of
ladyfingers. Refrigerate overnight. Unmold before serving and cover with
the reserved cream.

NOTES

(1) Ladyfingers or sponge fingers can be bought under that name, but Julia
Child recommends that they be homemade for use in a charlotte. A recipe has
already been posted I believe, or one is found in her book "The French
Chef".

(2) In JC's recipe for an almond chocolate charlotte, she recommends lining
the mold with waxed paper before putting in the ladyfingers. Then the top
of the filled mold is covered with waxed paper, a saucer, and weighted
down.

Posted to FOODWINE Digest by Esther Czekalski
esther_czekalski@BAYNETWORKS.COM on Dec 22, 1997