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Charlotte fruits rouge

If you're looking for a dessert that's as much a showstopper visually as it is gustatory, this red fruit charlotte is just the thing! Between you and me, it's a perfect blend of gourmandise and freshness, with a hint of summer, even in the middle of winter. Yes, even with frozen red fruit, it works! (except perhaps for the contour).
So, what's inside? First, a crisp shortbread cookie base, for a little crunch under the tooth. On top, a soft joconde cookie, light but with an almond flavor that melts you. Then it's on to the real thing, with an airy vanilla mousse, perfect for balancing the acidity of the red berries.
And then, watch out, we get to the heart of the beast: an ultra-perfumed, hypnotically spiraling red fruit confit on top (look at that! 😍 ). This confit is a concentrate of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, exploding in the mouth with every bite.
And to top it all off (literally), a beautiful crown of fresh fruit. Admittedly, I went a bit overboard with the dye to get that bright pink color... so if you want to avoid the “fluorescent cake” effect, I'd advise you to stick to natural colors. But hey, sometimes you just have to dare, don't you?
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Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

Red fruit confit

  • 300 g red fruit or red fruit purée
  • 10 g lemon juice
  • 30 g sugar
  • 4 g pectin

Shortbread

  • 100 g soft butter
  • 125 g flour
  • 55 g powdered sugar
  • 10 g egg yolk
  • Zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 g fleur de sel

Joconde cookie

  • 150 g eggs
  • 250 g tant pour tant equal mixture of almond powder and powdered sugar
  • 40 g flour
  • 6 g pink coloring or adjust according to desired intensity
  • 120 g egg whites
  • 30 g caster sugar
  • 30 g melted butter

The vanilla bavaroise

  • 4 g gelatin
  • 45 g water
  • 45 g whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 40 g egg yolks
  • 30 g caster sugar
  • 230 g single cream for the whipped cream

Decorations and finishing touches

  • QS fresh red fruit

Instructions
 

Red fruit confit (D-1)

  • Place the red berries in a saucepan and stew with the lemon juice (if you're using purée, just bring it to the boil).
  • Mix in the sugar and pectin. When the fruit has softened (or the purée has come to the boil), add the sugar and pectin.
  • Stir and bring back to the boil for one or two minutes to activate the pectin. Blend the confit in an immersion blender until smooth, then pour into the whirlpool mold. Pour the remainder into a 14 cm circle, filmed underneath, and place both in the freezer.

The shortbread

  • Mix the butter with the powdered sugar and add the lemon zest.
  • Stir in flour and egg yolks.
  • Roll out to 2 mm between two sheets of parchment paper and chill.
  • Cut out a 16 cm circle and bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 160°C.
  • Leave to cool until ready to assemble.

The jonconde cookie

  • Preheat oven to 175°C.
  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the foil, mix the eggs with the tant pour tant and flour.
  • Add the food coloring to obtain the desired shade of pink.
  • In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, gradually adding the sugar to stiffen them.
  • Gently fold the egg whites into the previous mixture, taking care not to let them fall.
  • Add the melted butter and spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment paper.
  • Place in the oven for around 12 minutes, until cooked and lightly golden.
  • Leave to cool, then cut two 5 cm wide strips for assembly and two 16 cm discs.

The vanilla bavaroise

  • Rehydrate the gelatine in cold water.
  • In a saucepan, bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla pod, split and scraped to infuse.
  • Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and frothy.
  • Gently pour the hot milk over the blanched yolks, stirring constantly, then pour back into the saucepan.
  • Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 83°C (as for a custard). Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatine to dissolve.
  • Let the mixture cool to around 30°C.
  • Meanwhile, whip the cream until stiff.
  • Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard, in batches, to create a light, creamy bavaroise.

Assembly

  • Start by lining an 18 cm-diameter circle with rhodoïd. Line the inside of the circle with a strip of pink Joconde cookie, fitting snugly around the sides.
  • Place a disk of shortbread in the bottom of the circle, followed by one of the Joconde cookie disks for added softness.
  • Next, add a first thin layer of vanilla bavaroise, then carefully insert the second disc of jonconde cookie.
  • Pour a small amount of mousse on top again, before placing the frozen red fruit confit disk.
  • Cover with a further layer of vanilla bavaroise, making sure to enclose the confit.
  • Leave to set in a cool place overnight (minimum 6h) and finish with a swirl of confit on top, placing it carefully.
  • Finally, garnish with a few fresh red berries for a final touch.

Notes

Notes
  • Choose ripe fruit for the garnish. Fruit that is too firm may lack taste and alter the harmony of flavors.
  • Time in the fridge is crucial. The longer the charlotte sits, the more the flavors blend and the texture stabilizes. If you can, make it the day before!
  • Don't over whip the whole cream, as it will be too difficult to incorporate. All the air incorporated into the cream will fall out, resulting in an excessively dense mousse. What's more, your mousse needs to be very supple to fill the cavities in the mould.
  • Don't hesitate to play with aromas! A hint of orange blossom extract or fruit liqueur can transform your bavaroise and give it a unique touch.
  • Don't forget to freeze your disc of red fruit confit before adding it to your charlotte. This allows you to handle it properly without the risk of breakage, and ensures a beautiful cut for the presentation.