Charlotte Russe

With a sharp knife cut out smoothly the interior of a large sponge cake, leaving the bottom and the sides standing. Make a rich boiled custard, (see Custard Puddings, Chapter XV.,) of one pint of cream, one pint of milk, eight eggs, and flavored with vanilla or peach water; mix this custard with an ounce of isinglass, or patent gelatine, previously boiled to a jelly in a little water; stir them well together, and sweeten them with fine white sugar; then whip to a stiff froth one pint of rich cream, flavored with rose-water; take off the froth as it stiffens, and add it gradually to the custard, stirring it all the time; pour this mixture into the mould already formed in the sponge cake; cover the whole with an icing, (see Chap. XVIII.,) and keep it upon ice until it is wanted.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE, WITH VANILLA.

Line a plain round mould with Savoy Biscuits, (see Chap. XVII.,) cutting off the end of some, to make them stand upright around the sides, and lapping others over each other at the bottom to form a rosette. Fill the mould, thus prepared, with Vanilla Cream, (see page 247,) and keep it upon ice until it is wanted.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE, IN MOSAIC.

Cover the bottom of a plain round mould with black and white grapes, strawberries, bits of stewed apple, pears, or any fruit in season, variegating them as much as possible to imitate mosaic; set the mould upon ice, and pour into it a little clear jelly, sufficient only to cover the fruit; line the sides of the mould with Savoy Biscuits, (see Chapter XVII.)

Put into a stew-pan one and a half ounces of isinglass, or of patent gelatine, (which is better,) half a pint of water, the juice of two lemons, and six ounces of fine white sugar; boil all together until it is reduced one half; skim it and pass it through a sieve into a bowl; when it has become cool, add four glasses of Madeira wine and two glasses of brandy; and when it is on the point of setting, stir into it one pint of cream well whipped. Pour this preparation into the mould or moulds, prepared as above, and keep it on ice until it is wanted.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE, WITH STRAWBERRIES.

Line a plain round mould with large ripe strawberries, in the following manner :-Bury the mould up to its rim in ice, cut the strawberries in halves, dip them in Calf's Foot Jelly, which must be cold, but not set, cover the bottom of the mould with the strawberries, the cut side downwards, then build them up to the sides of the mould in the same position the jelly will make them adhesive; when this is finished, fill the mould with cream as prepared for Charlotte Russe, or for Charlotte Russe in Mosaic; keep the mould upon ice until it is wanted; then dip the mould in warm water, and empty it carefully upon your dish.

The cream which you pour into the mould must be very nearly set when you put it in, or it will run between the strawberries and produce a bad effect.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE, WITH PINE-APPLE.

Peel and cut a pine-apple in slices, put the slices into a stew-pan with half a pound of fine white sugar, half an ounce of isinglass, or of patent gelatine, (which is better,) and a wine glass of water; stew it until it is quite tender, then rub it through a sieve, place it upon ice, and stir it well; when it is upon the point of setting, add a pint of cream well whipped, mix it well, and pour it into a mould lined with Savoy Biscuits, (Chapter XVII.) or prepared in any other way you prefer.

SOURCE: Mrs. Bliss, The Practical Cook Book, published in 1860, p. 247-9