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Charlotte Russe
1/4 box gelatine or 1 tablespoon granulated gelatine 1/4 cup cold water 1/3 cup scalded cream 1/3 cup powdered sugar Whip from 3 1/2 cups thin cream 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 6 lady fingers Soak gelatine in cold water, dissolve in scalded cream, strain into a bowl, and add sugar and vanilla. Set bowl in pan of ice-water and stir constantly until it begins to thicken, then fold in whip from cream, adding one-third at a time. Should gelatine mixture become too thick, melt over hot water, and again cool before adding whip. Trim ends and sides of lady fingers, place around inside of a mould, crust side out, one-half inch apart. Turn in mixture, and chill. Serve garnished with cubes of Wine Jelly. Charlotte Russe is sometimes made in individual moulds; these are often garnished on top with some of mixture forced through a pastry bag and tube. Individual moulds are frequently lined with thin slices of sponge cake cut to fit moulds.
A cold gelatine cream set inside a wall of ladyfingers — an unbaked charlotte that depends entirely on catching the gelatine at the right degree of thickness. Two of the measurements come from a kitchen that no longer exists and need translating.
- The gelatine measureGelatine was sold in boxes (sheet or granulated form) as well as in shaker tins of granules; the recipe itself treats a quarter box and a tablespoon of granulated as equivalent. Today one envelope of powdered gelatine (1/4 oz, 7 g, about 2 1/4 teaspoons) is the nearest substitute, a shade less than the tablespoon specified.
- "Whip from 3 1/2 cups thin cream"Thin cream of this period was a lighter cream than modern whipping cream, and was whipped cold with the froth skimmed off into a sieve as it rose, so a large volume of cream gave a much smaller volume of usable whip. Modern heavy cream (36%) whips far more efficiently, so use considerably less — start with about 1 1/2 cups and judge by volume. Light cream sold today is unlikely to whip to stiff peaks.
- Powdered sugarIn this period "powdered" sugar was a fine-grained sugar, listed separately from confectioners' sugar; caster or superfine sugar is the closer modern match. Either way it dissolves readily in the warm cream, which matters because the mixture is never heated again.
- The hingeFold in the whip the moment the gelatine base begins to thicken over ice — a syrupy, just-mounding stage. Too soon and the cream separates into a layer of jelly at the bottom; too late and the base sets in lumps. The instruction to remelt over hot water and re-cool is the correct remedy, not a fallback.
- The mouldA quart mould or charlotte tin, or six 4 oz ramekins. Six ladyfingers will only line a small mould; buy or bake a dozen so you can trim generously, and set them crust side out with the half-inch gaps as written.
- ChillingNo time is given. Allow 4 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight; a single tablespoon of gelatine in this much cream sets softly and will slump if unmoulded early. Dip the mould briefly in warm water and invert onto a chilled plate.
- YieldOne quart mould serves six to eight in small wedges — it is very rich. Wine jelly cubes are a separate recipe elsewhere in the book; chopped fruit jelly or fresh berries serve the same purpose.
- Raw cream, no cookingUncooked cream -- Apart from the small quantity of scalded cream, the dish is unheated, so it is a keep-cold dessert. Assemble, chill, serve, and refrigerate leftovers promptly rather than holding it out on a sideboard.