Chocolate Charlotte with Rum

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Chocolate Charlotte with Rum

08/02/201105/04/20190
Valentine’s Day is approaching fast. When I was younger, I expected from my boyfriend the full package; flowers, gift, card and of course a romantic night out for dinner. As I was growing up, I realized that this day is a little bit overestimated. The florists make special flower compositions for the day, which charge outrageously expensive. Gifts and cards the same as flowers and restaurants are packed with people and the service is poor let along the food.
So, I decided to not celebrate the specific day. Instead I pick up another day, just an ordinary Saturday and either make a nice romantic dinner or go out. I did that when I was younger and I do it now for my husband. I like that better because it takes more of a private character.
But this is me and I know that many people expect this day with heartbeat, either because they expect tokens of love from their sweet hearts or because they want to offer gifts to their sweethearts or both of them.
So, for you my friends and for everybody out there who celebrates the love that being to another person or simply the love of life this is a very beautiful sweet that will sure make an impression. Again the recipe comes from my favorite pastry chef Stelios Parliaros and is a Chocolate Charlotte with Rum.
It took me three days to make it not because it requires that much time, but because during weekdays my time is so limited, I can only do one or two things in the kitchen. So, one day I made the lady’s fingers, second day I made the ganache and third day the syrup and the assembly and voilà!

Chocolate Charlotte with Rum

Ingredients
For the lady’s fingers
4 egg whites
4 egg yolks
80 gr. sugar
50 gr. corn flour
45 gr. all purpose flour
20 gr. cocoa

For the syrup
250 gr. water
200 gr. sugar
30 gr. black rum (I didn’t have black so I used Bacardi no difference)

For the ganache
400 gr. semi-sweet chocolate 55% cocoa, cut in small pieces
300 gr. heavy cream
400 gr. heavy cream beaten to have the texture of the yogurt

Leaves of chocolate for the decoration

Instructions
For the lady’s fingers

In the mixer we beat the egg whites with the chocolate until they become meringue. Shift the flour, the corn flour and the cocoa. Empty this to the meringue and mix gently, so as not for the meringue to deflate.
Preheat oven to 200° C.
Take a pan and either put a parchment paper or a silicon sheet. Fill a pastry bag with the batter you have and form on the paper/silicon, sticks 1,5 cm thick and 15 cm long. We bake for about 7 to 10 minutes depending on the oven. Remove and let them cool.

For the ganache

We put in a small pot the 300 gr. of heavy cream over medium heat. Just before it starts to boil, we throw it to the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted.
We check and when the mixture is lukewarm we throw the yogurt-texture cream and we mix until it is incorporated. We cover with cling-film and place it in the fridge for at least two hours or even overnight.
When we are ready, we take it out of the fridge and we put it again in the mixer. We mix for a minute in medium speed to make it smooth again.

For the syrup

We boil the sugar and the water for 2 minutes from the moment it starts to boil. We remove from fire let it cool and add the rum.

Assembly

You can use a charlotte mold; I didn’t have such a thing so I improvised. I had a stainless steel ring with 7 cm. height. I adjusted the ring to 13 cm diameter and placed a parchment paper to increase its height to 15 cm. I placed this device on the plate I was going to serve the charlotte and I started to assemble.
I first baptized the lady’s fingers in the syrup and laid them on the bottom. On top I spread ¼ of the chocolate ganache. Repeat the procedure until you have on top the last ganache layer. Put the charlotte in the fridge for couple of hours. Take it out and spread some syrup on each finger and arrange them around the torte as you see in the pictures. For decoration on the top I just melted milk chocolate and made leaves. You can do whatever you wish. You can even melt chocolate and pour it on top. It is totally up to you.

I am linking this to
Julie’s Family Friendly Fridays at Mommie Cooks
Friday Potluck at EKat’s Kitchen
Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

I am linking this to
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Tuesdays at the Table
Made From Scratch Tuesday
It’s a Keeper Thursday
Foods on Friday
Feature Yourself Friday
Friday Features
I’m Loving it Friday
Everything But the Kitchen Sink Friday

by in Chocolate, Sweets