Bread Charlotte
Charlotte russe is a dessert invented by the French chef Marie-Antoine Carême (1784–1833), who named it in honor of his former employer George IV's only child, Princess Charlotte and his current, Russian employer Czar Alexander I (russe being the French word for "Russian"). Charlotte russe was also a dessert or on-the-go treat popular during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.
A charlotte is a type of dessert or trifle 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 mold, 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. 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 fruits, but use a custard or Bavarian cream. Chocolate charlotte uses a mousse filling within the layers. A citrus curd is a more contemporary choice.
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". In another, 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.It is possible that the dessert takes its name from Alexander I's sister-in-law, Charlotte of Prussia.
Information source Net
My version of the Charlotte
For the Bread
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup + 1 tsp Sugar free Diet Sugar
1 tsp Dry Yeast
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup lukewarm Milk
1/4 cup Milk
2 tbsp Butter
1 Egg
Method
Take 1/2 cup Milk. Make it lukewarm, add 2 tsp sugar free diet sugar and yeast. Mix it and let it rise. Take a mixing bowl, add APF, Whole Wheat Flour, salt and remaining sugar. Mix it. Take a another bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup milk and 1 tbsp of melted butter and egg. Beat it. Now take the dry ingredients and mix it with the wet ingredients, mix it to form a soft dough. Knead it.. add 1/2 tsp butter and knead it for 5 to 10 minutes. Apply the remaining butter on the dough and let it rise. Punch the dough. Take a baking tin. Grease it with butter. Roll the dough to the side of the tin and 1/4 thickness. Spread the roll dough in the tin. Prick the dough with a fork. With the remaining dough, roll the dough out in a circle the size of a glass bowl rim in which charlotte will be set. Bake the bread at 180 degrees celcius for 20 minutes till done. Cool the bread completely.
For the Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup Strawberry pulp
1 cup Sugarfree Diet sugar
1 tsp Lime juice
Method
Mix all the above ingredients in a pan and cook it on a low flame till the pulp reduces and become a bit thick.
For the Custard Filling
Ingredients
2 Egg Yolks
1/2 cup Cream
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Sugarfree Diet Sugar
1/4 tbsp Gelatine
1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
1 sliced Banana
Method
Take the egg yolks and beat it. In a pan, heat the cream, milk, vanilla essence and Sugarfree. Let it simmer for 2 minutes. Add the beaten eggs little at a time whisking the cream continuously. Put the pan back on a low flame. Keep on whisking till the custard thickens. Take it off the flame and continue to whisk till it cools downs a bit. Take the gelatine and 2 tbsp hot water. Mix the gelatine till it dissolves. Add the gelatine to the custard and mix it. Add the banana in the custard and mix it.
To Assemble the Charlotte
Take the bread from the tin and cut it into 2 parts. Apply the strawberry sauce on one part of the bread. Cover it with the other part. Cut it into square or rectangular pieces. Take the glass bowl. Line the glass bowl with cling flim. Arrange the bread pieces on the sides of the glass bowl leaving no gap in between. Fill in the centre with the custard filling. Cover the top with the round bread. Cover the whole bowl with the cling flim. Let it set in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours. Remove the cling flim. Place a plate upside-down on top of the bowl, then invert the bowl so the charlotte can rests on the plate. Gently lift the bowl up, and peel the cling flim from the top of the charlotte.
