Strawberry charlotte
Preparation Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: Serves 6 - 8
A stunning, elegant dessert made up of strawberry mousse and sponge fingers.
Ingredients
18 sponge fingers
Syrup
60ml (50 g) sugar
60ml water
Strawberry mousse
15ml gelatine powder
60ml water
125ml milk
125ml (105 g) castor sugar
500g fresh strawberries, pureed
125ml fresh cream, whipped
2 extra-large eggs, separated
80g or more extra fresh strawberries for decorating
Method
- Lightly grease a deep, 17 cm cake ring. Cut rounded tips off one end of sponge fingers. Set aside.
- Syrup: Heat sugar and water in a small, heavy-based saucepan and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
- Mousse: Add gelatine to water in a small heatproof bowl and leave to sponge for a few minutes. Place sponged gelatine over simmering water and leave to melt until translucent.
- Heat milk in a small, heavy-based saucepan. Beat egg yolks and half the sugar together. Add a little of the warm milk to egg mixture and mix well. Pour back into saucepan. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Add gelatine to custard mixture and leave to cool slightly. Add strawberry puree and stir well. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
- Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peak stage. Gently fold into strawberry mixture, using a metal spoon. Fold in whipped cream.
- Dip sponge fingers into cooled syrup and then arrange against the inside of the ring, with cut off ends on the bottom. Spoon mousse filling into centre. Refrigerate until set. Remove cake ring and decorate with extra fresh strawberries.
