Origins of charlotte
This classic pastry is said to have originated in the early 20th century, invented by the famous French pastry chef Antonin Carême. Originally an English dessert, Carême transformed it into a sophisticated, elegant French recipe.
The traditional charlotte recipe
The traditional charlotte recipe uses a base of sponge cookies or brioche bread, topped with cream or mousse, and sometimes fruits. Available in strawberry, chocolate, pear and other flavors, charlottes lend themselves to multiple variations, which explains their popularity in France. Pastry chefs enjoy revisiting this dessert at will, whether in individual versions or as entremets.
Jean-Michel Perruchon’s charlotte recipe
Meilleur Ouvrier de France pastry chef Jean-Michel Perruchon imagines a charlotte made with Reims cookie, wild berry confit and almond milk cream flavored with Amaretto.
A popular almond flavor in desserts: Amaretto
Amaretto is a sweet, slightly bitter Italian liqueur from the Saronno district in Lombardy. Its name comes from the Italian word “amaro”, meaning “bitter”, with the diminutive suffix “etto”, which means “a little bitter”.
The history of Amaretto goes back almost five hundred years to the Renaissance. According to legend, the artist Bernardino Luini, a pupil of Leonardo da Vinci, painted a fresco of the Madonna in Saronno. To thank the artist, a local innkeeper gave him a carafe of amber liqueur made from bitter almonds and apricot kernels. This liqueur seduced the artist with its unique, slightly bitter taste, and amaretto was born.
Today, amaretto is used in many cocktails and desserts, such as tiramisu [an opportunity to discover tiramisu revisited by Manuel Bouillet] … and the Red Fruit Charlotte we’re sharing today!
