Pear Charlotte

By norsegal8

A charlotte is made by lining a mold with gossamer biscuit or génoise (sponge-type cakes) in varying geometrical shapes, and then filling the mold with an airy Bavarian or whipped cream. When surrounded by slices of multilayered sponge cake and jam it is called a charlotte royale. When surrounded by ladyfingers, it is known as a charlotte russe. The charlotte is so popular in France it is constantly appearing in new guises and names. In American, the charlotte has appeared and disappeared over the years, usually under the prosaic name "icebox cake,"probably in deference to the advanced preparation and prolonged refrigeration necessary for unmolding and serving it.
When I think of an icebox cake, I picture an easy-to-prepare cake that uses prepared ladyfingers. These are not a bad product but, when you make your own ladyfinger or cake sheets, icebox cake is transformed into a charlotte and becomes one of my favorite desserts. Both from a visual and gustatory standpoint, one can ask for no more elegant finale to a dinner party.
A charlotte must be prepared at least four hours in advance but can be refrigerated for up to 3 days with no loss of texture or flavor. The cake-lined mold must be prepared in advance. In fact, it can be frozen for up to 3 months, making a simple matter to complete the dessert well in advance of a party,

Ingredients

• SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED
• 9-inch springform panor loose bottom pan or flan ring at least 2 1/2 inches high
• 17-inch by 12-inch jelly roll pan
• CAKE COMPONENTS
• 1 recipe biscuit roulade for the side of the mold
• 1 recipe biscuit roulade for the base
• 3/4 cup Cordon Rose Raspberry conserve or seedless raspberry jam
• 1 recipe poached pears
• 1 recipe Pear Bavarian cream
• 1/4 cup Apple Jewel glaze thinned with William's pear liqueur
• 1 recipe Raspberry sauce (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING THE CHARLOTTE
1. Bake the biscuit and allow it to cool flat.

2. To cut the biscuit, use a pizza wheel or sharp knife and a ruler to score where the cuts should be and then use sharp shears to do the actual cutting. Trim the edges so that the biscuit measures exactly 10 inches by about 16 inches. Now, cut the biscuit lengthwise into 4 equal rectangles, 2 1/2 inches wide by 16 inches long.

3. Spread 3 of the rectangles with a smooth layer of the raspberry conserve or jam. If the jam is too thick to spread easily, thin it with 1 tablespoon Chambord (black raspberry liqueur) or warm water. If using commercial jam, heat it and strain it and use warm.

4. Stack the rectangles carefully on top of one another, ending with the one that has no jam. The flat side of a long, metal ruler, pressed against one side, helps to even the layers.

5. Cut the stacked rectangles in half to form 2 shorter rectangles (each 7 1/2 inches long). You should now have two 4-layer rectangles, each 2 1/2 inches wide, 7 1/2 inches long and 2 inches high. (The only important measure is the width because when sliced and positioned in the pan, it will determined the height of the striped border.)

6. Wrap the rectangles in waxed paper and put them in a large heavy-duty plastic freezer bag. Place them on a baking sheet to maintain their shape and freeze until firm.

7. Use a small serrated knife to cut the rectangles into 3/8-inch slices. If necessary, trim each slice so that it is exactly 2 1/2 inches high when the stripes are up and down.

8. If using a springform pan to mold the charlotte, remove the bottom pan and place the ring directly on a serving plate. If using a loose-bottom pan, leave the inner disc in place, but line it with a parchment round if planning to remove it before serving.

9. Lightly oil the inside of the ring. Place the striped slices around the ring so that the stripes are straight up and down. Brush one side of each slice with a light coating of conserve before placing the next slice firmly against it.

10. Measure the inside diameter of the lined ring for making the biscuit disk. Cover the ring tightly with plastic and set aside while preparing the disk and filling.

11. Make the disc as per the biscuit directions. Trim it, if necessary to fit into the bottom of the lined ring. Re-cover tightly with the plastic wrap.

12. Poach the pears, reserving the liquid for the filling.

13. Prepare the Bavarian Cream and scoop it into the prepared mold. Level with a small angled spatula. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

14. Use a thin, sharp knife to cut the poached pears lengthwise into thin slices. Place a fan of overlapping slices on top of the filling with the pointed ends at the center. To form a center pear-shaped decorations, place 2 small pear slices (slightly overlapping) and a small piece of stem on top.

15. If serving the same day, brush the pears with a thin film of Apple Jewel Glaze. For a thicker glaze that keeps the pears moist and fresh for several days, brush with Shiny Apple Jewel Glaze instead. Allow the charlotte to chill and set for at least 4 hours before serving.

TO UNMOLD
For a springform pan, release the sides of the pan and lift away. For a loose-bottomed pan, place ont op of a sturdy canister smaller than the pan's bottom and press firmly downward. The pan sides will slide down to the counter and the charlotte can be lifted off the canister because it is supported by the pan base. Use a heavy-duty pancake turner to slide between the parchment and pan base and place the charlotte on a serving plate.