French Strawberry Charlotte (Charlotte aux Fraises)
This show-stopping French summer dessert showcases the best strawberries you have. The best part: there's no baking involved either!
The classic French ‘Charlotte’ is an iconic dessert that frames any seasonal fruits; strawberries are often the key fruit in this but any delicate berries work well here, perhaps adjusting for sweetness. A ‘Charlotte’ is formed of sponge layers, macerated strawberries and a silky strawberry Bavarian cream for the most part. Purists would argue that the ladyfinger sponges should be baked fresh, but the dried savoiardi sponges (used for tiramisu) work quite well and save switching the oven on entirely. This Charlotte does use gelatine to give the filling a steady set, however I use a little less gelatine than is standard which provides a more pleasurable flavour and melting mouthfeel at the cost of the stiff, perfect razor-neat patisserie slice. I also don’t sieve the strawberry puree for the filling to guarantee a more natural, flecked strawberry cream which looks more rustic; it’s nice to get a real sense of the fruit in a dessert like this. This recipe makes a nice change from the patisserie standard Charlotte which often favours ease of portioning over good flavour and texture. Either way, this a great patisserie icon to enjoy casually at home and celebrate the best strawberries you can get. Let’s go!
