Charlotte

I asked Malaymui if she knows any recipe that does not involved baking and she suggested Charlotte. She told me she wonders how I would interpret Charlotte. How would I interpret Charlotte? I have no idea. I don't think it is a cake since it does not involved any baking. Maybe a dessert? But maybe not a dessert as I saw it was served as savoury as well. 

Charlotte is made by lining a mould or bowl with biscuits or boudoir or ladyfingers. These biscuits absorbed the fruit puree, cream, syrup, liquid or custard and then turned into cakes. I thought of getting a bit eccentric using these boudoir commonly served with Champagne.

My interpretation of a Strawberry Charlotte- recipe courtesy of Malaymui

My interpretation of a Mango Charlotte- recipe from my sister









Classically Charlotte were made from lining stale bread. And since then developed into many varieties.
Charlotte Russe is a dessert invented by the French chef Antoine Careme (1784-1833) who named it to honor his Russian employer Czar Alexander. Some believe Charlotte hails from an Old English word "charlyt" meaning a dish of custard. Meanwhile many French believes it is a French dish.

I got a little adventurous and interpreted  a series of mini Charlottes.

My interpretation of a savory Charlotte- Charlotte Markerel

                  Charlotte and photo courtesy of Lucinda (DH France)

• "Do you think" she asked, glancing toward the stage, " he will send her a bunch of yellow roses tomorrow morning?"
• Archer reddened, and his heart gave a leap of surprise.He had called only twice on Madame Olenska, and each time he had sent a box of yellow roses, and each time without a card. She never before made any allusion to the flowers, and he supposed she had never thought of him as the sender. Now her sudden recognition of the gift, and her associating it with the tender leave-taking on the stage, filled him with an agitated pleasure.
  
  
  The Age of Innocence- Edith Wharton, Pulitzer Prize 1920

       


Series of Charlotte by DH France

Here is a video of a French lady called Monica preparing Charlotte.  Since Monica is French and had been baking and cooking for a longtime I do believe her way would genuinely work. Her grandson filmed all her creations.