Oooh, chocolate!

daveed

Friday, 8 May 2009

When Sam, our editor, requested that I write about chocolate, I had no option but to reach for mother's mighty Chocolate Charlotte recipe. I mean, he is the chief editor and I'm enjoying writing too much to jeopardise my position in the food section. Move over Nigella, I can be slutty too!

I've always loved my mum's Charlotte, it might sound corny but it's one of those desserts that brings loads of fond memories, one of them being chocolate and the other being Rum (yum!) - two things I've added to my list of food groups with their respective departments. I just hate cutting myself short of anything and five groups just wasn't satisfying enough. (Don't judge me!)

One of the good thing about this recipe is that it will work wonders when used as bribe. Bring your boss home for dinner for a raise, a girlfriend or boyfriend for whatever you have planned for them or even the mother in law for a loan. It's luscious, it's naughty and it's decadently right. Mother never realised the power she possessed in that kitchen draw. She's used it for as long as I can remember, and she has become known for it too. Although she still uses the yellowed piece of paper with the neat french writing of my dad's mother, and she doesn't dare write it on anything else (especially not the computer, or "the devil's work" as she still sometimes calls it) for fear of losing the charm for assured success placed upon it.

It's a recipe that will take as much care as you can give, and needs to be made the night before to allow it to set in the freezer. It needs to be served with a freshly made custard (which I will kindly explain the making of below) and you can get creative with it. Slices of fresh banana in the centre or an orange blossom flavoured custard will give a beautiful exotic twist. Play with it as you wish, but let me warn you, I'm not hand writing it or my mother would kill me!

Ingredients for about 8 servings

For the charlotte
Finger biscuits : 365 grms
Eggs : 9
Dark chocolate : 300 grms
Caster sugar : 90 grms
Butter : 40 grms
Rum : 2 tbl spoons
Water : 2 tbl spoons

For the custard
Milk : 1 ltr
Caster sugar : 120 grms
Eggs : 6 yolks
Vanilla pod : 1

Method
Place the chocolate, broken in little pieces, in a bowl above a saucepan with hot water and let it soften for a good 10 minutes.

In the meantime, separate the yolks and the white of the eggs and whip the white until very firm. (You should be able to flip the bowl upside down without the mixture going anywhere.)

When the chocolate is melted, add the butter, sugar and the egg yolks and quickly mix the lot, then pour this mix on top of the beaten white. Then fold carefully (this means that you should slide your wooden spoon against the bowl and flip the mixture on itself, so as to keep it fluffy and not break down the mix).

In a soup plate, pour the rum, the water and some sugar and soak the biscuits quickly, then place them in a charlotte tin (around 18 cm diameter and 16 cm height). First at the bottom neatly, then all around to cover the mould. Make sure to cut any bits that sticks out.

Pour the chocolate and whipped eggs mix in there, then top it all off with some more soaked biscuits. Place a dessert plate on top to weight it down and place in the freezer overnight.

On the night, make the custard by heating the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla pod cut in half. Whilst this is happening, mix the egg yolks and the sugar quickly so as to obtain a creamy white texture. When the milk is hot, pour it on top of that mix and whisk it. Then pass it through a sieve back into the saucepan and place on very low heat forming shapes of eight with the wooden spoon. DO NOT bring it back to the boil or this will cook your yolks and give you a very runny version of scrambled eggs. The custard should thicken a little, and if you run your finger on the spoon it should create a clear line. Take the saucepan off the heat, pass the custard through a sieve again into a ceramic jug (or plastic if you'd rather) and let it cool down by an open window.

Take the Charlotte out of the freezer at least 4 hours before you need it and place it in your fridge. To dish out, fill the sink with hot water, dip the charlotte into the water to make sure it does not stick to the tin, then flip it out into a serving dish. A little icing sugar will give it a frosty look, cut a generous size portion out and cover with custard...

Oooooooooh... chocolate!

PS: A little disclaimer here: don't forget that you are using raw eggs, so if you do not eat the lot on the night, you can refrigerate for the day after, but no longer that a day. And don't even think of putting it back in the freezer, that would be suicide!