Charlotte au Chocolat
- 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons Kahlua liqueur
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons gelatin
- 6 large egg whites
- Pinch salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 16 to 21 soft ladyfingers, store-bought or homemade
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- In a double boiler set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, Kahlua and 1/3 cup of the cream.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and, one at a time, beat in the egg yolks.
- Dissolve the gelatin in 1 tablespoon of warm water and stir it in.
- Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg whites and salt and whip until very frothy.
- A little at a time, whip in 1/2 cup of the sugar.
- Continue to whip until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites.
- Refrigerate.
- Take 4 to 6 ladyfingers and trim them into "petals" with one rounded edge and one narrow, pointed end.
- Arrange them, domed side down, in the bottom of an 8-cup buttered charlotte mold, narrow ends pointing in and rounded ends pointed out.
- Trim the sides of another 12 to 15 ladyfingers and set them upright, domed sides out, packing them as close together as possible.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the mold.
- Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of the ladyfingers level with the filling.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
- Invert onto a serving platter.
- Whip the remaining 2/3 cup of cream with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until it holds soft peaks.
- Gradually whip in the cocoa.
- Place the cream in a pastry bag fitted with a star tube and pipe lines of cream between the ladyfingers and rosettes around the edge of the plate.
- Slice and serve.
bittersweet chocolate, kahlua liqueur, heavy cream, egg yolks, gelatin, egg whites, salt, sugar, ladyfingers, cocoa
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1084 (may not work)