Raspberry Charlotte

This is one of my very favorite dessert! All Charlottes are! When asked what I wanted to eat for Mother's Day, my answer for dessert was a Raspberry Charlotte! And since the children had no idea how to go about it, I helped Emilie make it!

It is light and fresh and a wonderful summer treat!

Raspberry Charlotte

40 Lady Finger, dry (not the soft kind)
2 10-oz bags of frozen raspberries, thawed
12 oz fresh raspberries
2 tsp gelatin
16 fl oz whipping cream, very cold
4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp Vodka or Raspberry liquor


In a food processor, puree the thawed raspberries. Pass through to a sieve to remove the seeds. Keep the seeds part to make a syrup.
Bring the pureed berries and 2 tsp of sugar to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Transfer about 2 tablespoons in a small bowl, add the gelatin and mix well. Transfer back to the pureed berries and and let cool.

Syrup: transfer the seed mixture that remained in the sieve into a small saucepan, add 2 tsp of sugar, the water and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Pass through the sieve again discarding the seeds. Return liquid to the saucepan and boil a few minutes longer,to reduce slightly. Add the liquor and let stand.


Mousse:In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add 2 tsp of sugar and keep beating until firm peaks form (not too stiff though!).
Add the berry mixture to the cream and fold together. Add half the fresh raspberries in and mix delicately. Set aside.


Line the Charlotte dish with parchment paper, bottom and sides (about 1 inch above the side).
Dip the Lady Fingers, one at a time, into the syrup and lay them at the bottom and sides of the Charlotte bowl.
Pour some of the raspberry mousse in the dish, half way up. Add another layer of dipped Lady Finger and finish with the mousse. Gently tap the bottom of the dish on the counter to set the mousse and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Unmold and serve with the other half of the raspberries on top, and a fruit coulis (optional).