Charlotte Royale and Charlotte Russe

Ingredients

• For the Swiss roll (Charlotte Royale)
• 1 génoise sponge, baked thin, baked at 190°C for 12 minutes — Entry 20
• 150 g raspberry or apricot jam, spread over the warm génoise before rolling
• For the Charlotte Russe
• 200 g ladyfingers (boudoirs or savoiardi), day-old or commercial; rounded ends trimmed flat; sugar side facing outward
• For the bavarois (Entry 64)
• 500 ml whole milk
• 8 g leaf gelatin, lower end of standard for a softer set; increase to 10 g if the charlotte will be transported
• 500 ml whipping cream, whipped and folded in at 22–25°C
• 1 vanilla pod, or pure vanilla extract to equivalent strength
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g caster sugar
• To finish
• 1 tsp neutral oil, brushed lightly inside the mould — not sprayed
• To finish (optional)
• nappage neutre (neutral fruit glaze), brushed over the unmoulded royale for sheen; prevents surface from drying during service

Method

1. 1
   Prepare the Swiss roll at least 30 minutes before assembly (Charlotte Royale). Bake the génoise thin at 190°C for 12 minutes. Spread raspberry or apricot jam over the surface while still warm. Roll tightly. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. The roll must be cold and firm before slicing. Sense of doneness: the roll holds its spiral without unravelling when touched at the ends.
2. 2
   Slice the cold Swiss roll into rounds of exactly 7 mm. Precision here determines the regularity of the spiral pattern on the unmoulded dessert. A round of Swiss roll covers the base of the lightly oiled charlotte mould. The sides are then lined, working upward in overlapping rows, each slice pressed firmly against the mould wall. Hold the lined mould up to light: there must be no gaps. Every spiral must touch the next; the base must be covered completely. A gap is not recoverable after filling.
3. 3
   For Charlotte Russe: trim the rounded ends of the ladyfingers so they stand flat. Arrange vertically around the inside of the lightly oiled mould, sugar side facing outward. The flat sides face inward. The ladyfingers must stand upright and cover the mould walls without gaps before the bavarois is introduced.
4. 4
   Prepare the bavarois to Entry 64. Allow to cool to 22–25°C before folding in the whipped cream — this is the correct folding temperature for a moulded charlotte. Do not pour the bavarois warmer than this: excess heat will continue to cook and soften the Swiss roll or ladyfinger lining.
5. 5
   Fill the lined mould with bavarois. Leave 1 cm clear at the top. Seal with a round of Swiss roll or a layer of trimmed ladyfingers, pressing gently to close. Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours. Overnight is better — the gelatin's set stabilises further with extended refrigeration. Before unmoulding, press the sealed surface firmly. A correctly set charlotte does not yield at all to firm pressure. Any yield means the set is insufficient: return to the refrigerator.
6. 6
   This is where the dish lives or dies. To unmould, dip the mould in hand-warm water for exactly 5 seconds — no more. This releases the bavarois from the mould walls without beginning to melt the exterior. Invert immediately onto a chilled serving plate. Too long in the water bath and the lining softens, the structure collapses; too short and the cream adheres to the mould and tears on release. Five seconds, no more.
7. 7
   Assess the unmoulded result. Charlotte Royale: the spirals must be perfectly regular; the cream between each turn of Swiss roll completely clean and white. Charlotte Russe: the ladyfingers standing upright, their sugar surfaces dry and clean. In both cases, the dessert holds its dome with only the barely perceptible trembling of a correctly gelled bavarois. Slice with a warm, dry knife, wiped clean between each cut.