Charlotte (dessert)

"Charlotte Russe" redirects here. For the clothing store, see Charlotte Russe (retailer).

Strawberry charlotte

A charlotte is a type of dessert that can be served hot or cold. It can also be known as an "ice-box cake". Bread, sponge cake or biscuits/cookies are used to line a mould, which is then filled with a fruit puree or custard. It can also be made using layers of breadcrumbs.

Classically, stale bread dipped in butter was used as the lining, but sponge cake or ladyfingers may be used today. The filling may be covered with a thin layer of similarly flavoured gelatin.

Types

Due to the simple preparation of charlottes, many different varieties have developed. Most charlottes are served cool, so they are more common in warmer seasons. Fruit charlottes usually combine a fruit purée or preserve with a custard filling or whipped cream. Some flavors include strawberry, raspberry, apple, pear, and banana.

Other types do not include fruit, but use a custard or Bavarian cream. Chocolate charlotte uses a mousse filling within the layers. A citrus curd is a more contemporary choice.

Charlotte russe

Charlotte russe is a dessert invented by the French chef Marie Antoine Carême (1784–1833), who named it in honor of his Russian employer Czar Alexander I (russe being the French word for "Russian"). It is a cold dessert of Bavarian cream set in a mold lined with ladyfingers.^[1]

Charlotte russe was also a dessert or on-the-go treat popular during 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. It was sold in candy stores and luncheonettes throughout the five boroughs of New York. It consisted of a paper cup filled with yellow cake and whipped cream topped with half a maraschino cherry. The bottom of the cup is pushed up to eat.

Alternative to this is a Charlotte Royale, which has the same filling as a Charlotte Russe, but replaces the ladyfinger lining with Swiss roll.^[2]

Etymology

There is a lot of doubt surrounding the origins of the name charlotte. Despite the fact that charlottes are served across Europe, one etymology suggests it is a corruption of the Old English word charlyt meaning "a dish of custard". Meat dishes that were known as charlets were popular in the 15th century. Other historians say that this sweet dish took its name from Queen Charlotte (1744–1818), wife of George III of the United Kingdom.^[3][4] It is possible that the dessert takes its name from Alexander I's sister-in-law, Charlotte of Prussia.

See also

• Baking
• Crumble
• Summer pudding

References

1. ^ "charlotte russe". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Accessed via Dictionary.com, February 27, 2010.
2. ^ Food dictionary - Charlotte Royale
3. ^ Olver, Lynne. Food Timeline FAQs: charlotte to hush puppies. The Food Timeline, 2000. Accessed February 27, 2010.
4. ^ Stradley, Linda. History of Charlotte Russe. What's Cooking America, 2004. Accessed February 27, 2010.