How to make a chocolate version of a classic Charlotte Russe dessert
Along with the Charleston, the flapper era brought modern refrigeration and a whole array of “icebox” desserts.
One of the most popular was a Charlotte Russe — a rich, satin-smooth pudding often molded in a ring of homemade ladyfingers.
Our space-age Chocolate Charlotte Russe is just as good but twice as fast as its classic cousin. Delicate ladyfingers from the bakery shelf and a package of pudding mix are the time-savers.
You mold the dessert in a loaf pan with a fence of split ladyfingers enclosing the velvety chocolate filling. Additional ladyfingers divide the filling into layers, and form the corduroy look of the top.
Perky bunches of green grapes make a pretty and tasty platter garnish. For added glamour, top those whipped cream posies with chopped pistachios or candied cherries. Nice accompaniment: demitasse-strength coffee.
Chocolate Charlotte Russe
This modern-day dessert first gained fame in the flapper age. (What was a flapper? Here’s how they defined it back in the ’20s!)
Chocolate Charlotte Russe
Ingredients
- 1 4-1/2 ounce package vanilla pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 2 cups milk
- 1 4-ounce bar sweet baking chocolate
- 1-1/2 cups whipping cream
- 2 3-ounce packages (16) ladyfingers, split
Instructions
- In saucepan, combine pudding mix and gelatin; stir in milk.
Cook and stir over medium heat till boiling. Remove from heat. - Break chocolate into squares and add to hot pudding. Stir till chocolate is melted.
- Cool completely; then mix until smooth.
- Whip cream; reserve 1 cup for garnish; fold the remainder into pudding.
- Line an 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 by 2-1/2-inch loaf pan with waxed paper, extending paper beyond rim.
- Line bottom and sides with ladyfinger halves. Pour in half of the chocolate mixture.
Add a layer of ladyfinger halves and the pudding. Top with remaining ladyfinger halves. - Chill for 4 hours or till firm.
- Using the waxed paper, remove from loaf dish and carefully transfer to serving plate; remove waxed paper.
- Garnish with the reserved whipping cream.
Cook and stir over medium heat till boiling. Remove from heat. 
Add a layer of ladyfinger halves and the pudding. Top with remaining ladyfinger halves. Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 470Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 205mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 8g
Click Americana offers approximate nutrition information as a general reference only, and we make no warranties regarding its accuracy. Please make any necessary calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, and consult with a qualified healthcare professional if you have dietary concerns.
