[Fromage blanc and raspberry Charlotte]

Charlotte is one of those desserts — so easy to put together — that is usually made by the children, but loved by both kids and grown-ups.
And because i own a copy PH10 by Pierre Hermé, in which he explores lots of different and unusual combinations, that doesn’t mean that i don’t like simple things.
Indeed, I have a weakness for all the cakes and biscuits i used to make as a child: gateau au yaourt, charlotte, baba au rhum… And i still adore to make them and eat them on a regular basis. Actually, le gateau au yaourt may be the best plain cake ever; at least for me.

I don’t know why the food you made and ate as a child has such a power on the grown-up you’ve become; but this is more than accurate — lots of my favourites are as old as i am and eating them reminds me all the great moments i spent when making them years and years ago.

I think that my love for food - a great treasure - was given to me by my grandmother. She’s the best cook i’ve ever known; able to make everything and always curious about new ways of doing things. She’s even addicted to ‘cuisineTV’ (the French cooking TV channel) and watch the Naked Chef as often as possible, although she can’t understand everything he makes because ‘il parle et fait tout trop vite’ [he speaks and cooks too fast].
I remember spending hours on the kitchen counter watching her.

Now it’s my turn to show her my skills with more or less success. So each time i visit my grandparents, we first go to the market to buy the freshest produce, then we cook all day, learning from each others.
But i feel i am digressing here.

As i’ve said above, everyone love his Charlotte. I mean it’s fresh, light and fruity! What’s not to love?
So for the 5th birthday of my little cousin Sindri (pictured on the previous post) i made a charlotte using the frozen rapsberries i had picked last summer.
I made a big Charlotte for the birthday and a couple of more sophisticated individual Charlottes (see note below), which would perfectly fit for a dinner party.

Charlotte aux framboises
This is so easy to make, but highly rewarding too. It’s very subtle and fresh.
If like me, you’re using frozen raspberries, you should defrost them before mashing them.
By any mean replace the raspberries by strawberries, pears, bananas, or a mixture of berries.
You can also make your own savoiardi using this recipe, but i was in a rush so wasn’t able to make mine.
As for the fromage blanc, you can use thick greek yogurt instead.
This recipe gave me 1 big Chalotte + 2 small ones.
Tips given — 3, 2, 1, go!

Charlotte aux framboises

serves 8

250ml water
150g caster sugar
red food colouring paste (i used the end of a toothpick)

enough biscuits à la cuillère [savoiardi lady fingers] (i bought 72 savoiardi and almost finished the packet - i’d say 50 savoiardi)

5 sheets gelatine
300g fresh rapsberries
70g caster sugar
500g fromage blanc (thick french yogurt)

Line a 20cm charlotte mould with clingfilm.

Bring the sugar and water to the boil and simmer for 1 minute.
Add the food colouring and put in a soup plate.

Soak two thirds of the savoiardi in the syrup and arrange them on the side and bottom of the lined dish.

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold waterfor 5 minutes or so. Drain the gelatine and melt it either in the microwave or over a double boiler.
Mash the raspberries and sugar with a fork. And mix in the melted gelatine.
Add the fromage blanc and mix well.

Fill the prepared dish with half the mixture. Soak another 5 savoiardi in the syrup and arrange them.
Add the remaining mixture and “close” the charlotte with enough soaked savoiardi.
Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight.
Unmould and eat!

Note on the individual Charlottes:
Line the exterior of two 7cm cooking rings with cling film and the interior with rodoid.
Soak the biscuits as above and line the cooking ring with them.
Fill with the remaining mixture and leave in the fridge overnight.
Unmould and eat!

Posted by fanny who loves to forget labeling posts