Charlotte with history. Desktop cookbook Pie "Charlotte" - a combination of benefits and taste
Baked in dough. Classic charlotte is a German sweet dish made from white bread, custard, eggs, fruit and liqueur.
Classic recipe
The idea of classic charlotte was borrowed from the British: charlotte is a type of pudding, which is usually served warm. The bottom of the mold is lined with bread soaked in butter or egg mixture. A layer of prepared apples (boiled with sugar or pureed) is placed on top of the bread and covered with a layer of soaked bread. You can make several layers. The charlotte is then baked in the oven and served warm with ice cream, whipped cream or sweet sauces.
Charlotte in Russian
Apple pie popular in the CIS
Russian charlotte was invented in London at the beginning of the 19th century by the French chef Marie Antoine Careme, who was in the service of Alexander I. The dish was originally called charlotte a la parisienne(Parisian charlotte), later the dessert became famous throughout the world under the name charlotte russe(Russian charlotte). To make Russian charlotte, the mold is lined with savoiardi cookies or ready-made sponge cake and filled with Bavarian cream and whipped cream. Then the dessert should be cooled until hardened.
There is a controversial claim that during the reign of Stalin, as part of the fight against “adulation to the West,” it was renamed “apple babka.” However, in the “Book of Tasty and Healthy Food” dated 1952, this recipe is called charlotte.
Currently, in the CIS, charlotte is an easy-to-prepare pie, which is a sponge cake filled with chopped apples.
Etymology of the name
There are several versions of the origin of the name of the dish. According to one of them, this recipe was proposed by Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III of Great Britain. According to another version, the name of the dessert comes from Old English. charlyt, which translated means a dish made from beaten eggs, sugar and milk. In the 15th century, a meat dish with the same name was also popular in England. There is a romantic story about a cook hopelessly in love who dedicated the dessert he invented to the lady of his heart, Charlotte.
According to another version, at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries in Russia there were many German bakeries in which this pie was prepared from leftover bread and bakery products. The Russians laughed and said that the Germans’ wives save money and even make pies out of crackers, and the wives themselves, in general, were called Charlottes behind their backs, since it was a fairly popular name that had already become a household name for any German woman living in Russia.
Charlotte - many options for a simple dish!
A quick and tasty dessert that is easy to prepare and does not require expensive ingredients is charlotte. It has long and firmly entered the menu of Europeans, Americans and, of course, Russians. The history of this dish is full of mysteries and interesting facts, but chefs are still trying to improve it by adding new ingredients. Charlotte's victorious march across countries
Charlotte is believed to have been invented by the British both because of the cheapness of apples and their availability on the European continent. The classic recipe is a kind of pudding, which can have three or more layers: the bottom and top are bread soaked in an egg mixture or butter, the intermediate layer is a layer of chopped or boiled apples with sugar. Apple charlotte is baked in the oven for 30-50 minutes. It is served with sweet sauces, cream whipped with sugar, or ice cream. In addition to apples, the filling can be plums, pears, other fruits and even berries.
Russian charlotte was invented by chef Marie-Antoine Care, who cooked for Alexander I after he triumphantly entered Paris. According to this chef's recipe, a layer of savoiardi cookies (or sponge cake) is placed in a mold and whipped cream, which forms the basis of the Bavarian cream, is placed between the layers. The mold should be cooled until the mass hardens. Now charlotte in Russia and other post-Soviet countries is often a sponge cake containing finely chopped apples. Our country also loves cottage cheese charlotte.
But, according to another legend, the charlotte recipe was invented by the wife of King George III, Charlotte, the patroness of apple producers. According to another version, this name comes from English "charlyt", which means a dish made from a mixture of sugar, eggs and milk. By the way, another legend says that a certain English cook was very much in love with a poor beauty whose name was Charlotte. And in her honor he invented this pie.
The Russians believed that charlotte was invented by the wives of German bakers who lived in Russia for a long time. They used leftover crackers, bread and pastries to prepare it. And since German women were called Charlottes behind their backs, this is where the name charlotte pie came from.
Charlotte came to America at the end of the 19th century, but in a modified form as banana charlotte. There it was prepared by adding whipped cream and chocolate as a cream. Now in America they use cherry liqueur and cherries for impregnation.
How to cook it correctly?
Initially, charlotte was not baked at all. To prepare it, they used syrup made from the mixed juice of apples, apricots (or plums) and pears, in which pieces of bread were soaked. These soaked pieces were layered, then fruit was placed on top, and again covered with similar pieces of bread. The principle is similar to the method by which tiramisu is made.
Previously, for baking charlotte there was a special form with a detachable bottom and petal walls. It made it possible to remove the pie without damage and was called a charlotte maker. Now there are also similar forms that have an additional non-stick coating.
Today, charlotte is a sponge cake with apple filling. But it can also be peach, pear, melon, or strawberry filling. To prevent the charlotte from burning, you need to place a baking sheet with salt in the lower part of the oven, and bake the charlotte itself in a greased pan. After baking, the cake is immediately placed on a damp towel and after a while it can be easily removed.
Here is a simple and quick recipe for preparing regular charlotte with apples. Slices of white bread are placed in a mold, generously greased with butter, thinly sliced apples are placed on top, sprinkled with cinnamon, covered with another layer of bread, sprinkled with sugar and placed in a preheated oven for a few minutes. In order for the charlotte to be ruddy, it should be closed with a special lid - a salamander. It is served hot. But Karem did it differently. The prepared dessert, having modified the composition, was served cold and frozen. The old Russian recipe, set out in the cookbook by Elena Molokhovets, is distinguished by the use of stale rye and black bread, which must be ground, mixed and lightly fried with butter, add cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest and candied orange peel, sugar and water. The filling is made from cherries or apples (the former are lightly boiled in syrup, the latter are briefly stewed with butter). You can add wine or rum to the filling. Russian charlotte was usually prepared in many layers, alternating layers of bread with filling, then baked in a charlotte for 15 minutes and served with sugar and cream.
English babka (the same as charlotte) is made from white bread soaked in lezone (a mixture of eggs and milk) and apple slices in the middle layer. Bake it for 40-50 minutes and serve hot, topped with sweet sauce. Another filling option is a mixture of finely chopped apples, bread and lemon zest.
Puffed charlotte is made from baked apples, which are then pureed with sugar, boiled until thickened, beaten egg whites are added and baked for 15-20 minutes in the oven, without removing from the mold, so that it does not lose its volume. The most original recipe for charlotte in Kharkov. It is made from sugar-free biscuit and sausage and vegetable filling. To prevent the charlotte made from biscuit dough and apples from falling, you need to let it cool in the turned off oven (the readiness of the pie will be indicated by a golden-brown crust).
We use a multicooker
Now any housewife can prepare a delicious dessert in a matter of time - in this case, charlotte in a slow cooker will help out, both if guests are about to arrive, and if the family asks for something sweet. The peculiarity of preparing charlotte in it is that the biscuit mixture of eggs, sugar and flour with the filling is alternated, laying out a layer of apples so that it does not touch the walls of the multicooker, and then pouring the mixture.
There can be many layers - it depends on the height of the multicooker. After this, set the “Baking” mode for 1 hour. Check the readiness of the charlotte with a wooden stick. There is no need to remove it immediately after baking, but it is better to wait 15 minutes or half an hour, then it will remain airy. To make the charlotte especially tasty, each apple layer is sprinkled with chopped cinnamon.
A simple, easy baking method with a minimal number of ingredients allows you to prepare a delicious dessert in any season that you can please your loved ones and surprise your guests.
Apple charlotte is one of the most popular desserts in August. Summer residents, having reaped a rich harvest, bake this pie almost every day and generously treat it to friends and neighbors. AiF.ru tried to figure out why the pie got its name.
UK versions
Most likely, this pie was invented somewhere in the British Isles, where there is a special attitude towards apples. They believe that this is the fruit that everyone should eat. An English proverb says: “As long as you eat apples, you don’t need the services of a doctor.” (“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”).
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Most British people are sure that the charlotte recipe appeared at the end of the 18th century thanks to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of the British King George III. This noble person is known for patronizing gardeners. Maybe that’s why various apple dishes often appeared on her table. For tea, she asked to be served a special pie, which was prepared especially to her taste. At court, this dessert was nicknamed charlotte - after the queen, who adored this delicacy.
But there are those in the UK who believe that the recipe for this pie is much older. They take the name of the dessert from the Old English “charlyt”. There is no exact equivalent of this word in Russian; it means a dish made from beaten eggs, sugar and milk. If you believe this version, then charlotte was eaten back in the 5th century.
However, the British romantics also have their own version. They say that once upon a time, a chef fell hopelessly in love with the noble beauty Charlotte. Due to poverty and low origin, he did not have the slightest chance of winning her favor. Nevertheless, the lover decided to dedicate to her his best culinary creation - apple pie.
American version
In the USA, charlotte is considered their national dish. Americans are sure that this pie was invented by a certain chef from the city of Charlotte in North Carolina. However, it is much more likely that the dessert was brought there by the British - the recipe is very similar to the traditional European version. But the majority of US citizens strongly disagree with this argument. After all, in their homeland they even have a saying that is used when talking about a typically American phenomenon or object: “As American as apple pie.”
Charlotte recipes
Photo: Shutterstock.com
Classic version
The idea of the classic charlotte was borrowed from the British:
1. Line the bottom of the pan with bread soaked in butter or egg mixture.
2. Place a layer of prepared apples (boiled with sugar or pureed) on top of the bread and cover with a layer of soaked bread. You can make several layers.
3. Bake the charlotte in the oven and serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream or sweet sauces.
Modern version
Mix 4 eggs, 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar, add a teaspoon of soda slaked with vinegar and a few chopped apples, bake in the oven.
30.05.2018 2142Charlotte - how it appeared: legends and best recipes
Charlotte is known and loved all over the world, and even those who don’t know the name have probably tried the sponge cake with apples at least once in their life. By the way, not every apple pie is a charlotte, and not every charlotte is an apple pie.
Most legends that try to imagine the history of the creation of this dessert associate the name with the female name Charlotte.
Origin stories
The first story attributes the authorship of charlotte to the British. Only initially it was a pudding, and charlotte, as we know it, appeared not so long ago. At first, charlotte was called moist bread, layered with fruit - raw, cold charlotte.
The second story is royal. In the 18th century, the wife of King George III of Great Britain, Charlotte, was the patroness of apple growers. The theory is not confirmed, but very romantic, and besides, the pudding existed before.
The third romantic legend says that charlotte was invented by an English cook who was unrequitedly in love with the girl Charlotte. Obviously, with the new dish he was trying to somehow gain the favor of the unapproachable lady.
The fourth legend is that a certain French chef Marie Antoine Carême, one of the culinary innovators of the early 19th century, “the cook of kings and the king of chefs,” as he was called, created a charlotte of the Charlotte Russe type - instead of bread he used Savoiardi cookies and a layer of Bavarian cream with gelatin.
The fifth story of the origin of charlotte mentions thrifty German women who did not like to throw away leftover bread, but made crackers out of them. Then they were used to make apple dessert. And since the German name Charlotte was common at the beginning of the 20th century, behind the scenes all German women were called Charlotte.
Pie transformations
Charlotte is not only an apple pie, it is any fruit pie, or, more precisely, bread pudding.
Once upon a time, slices of bread were soaked in fruit syrup and layered with fruit. Then they began to bake the charlotte: the bread was again soaked in butter or a mixture of milk and eggs, the sides and bottom of the mold were lined, and fruit was placed inside.
Then Antoine Carême, as the legend says above, made charlotte a delicate and airy dessert from savoiardi and Bavarian cream.
Having spread throughout the world, chefs adapted pie recipes to suit consumer tastes and the abundance of those products that were available in each country. So in our regions at one time charlotte was baked from rye bread. And at the beginning of the 20th century, we began to prepare baked sponge cake with apples.
Despite the simplicity of the recipe, there are many options for the ratio and quantity of ingredients. The basic recipe is a glass of flour, a glass of sugar, 4 eggs and half a teaspoon of soda slaked with vinegar.
3 basic charlotte recipes:
English charlotte pudding
You will need 100 grams of butter, 5 apples, 2 stale rolls, half a glass of sugar, 50 grams of rum or cognac, an egg yolk and a teaspoon of milk.
Preparation:
Trim the crusts from the buns, cut into slices 1 cm thick and as high as the sides of the baking dish. There should be enough slices to line the sides of the pan. Cut out triangles from the remaining bread. Try the slices into shape - they should be end to end or slightly overlapping. Set aside the trimmed crusts.
Melt 20 grams of butter, place the bread scraps on a baking sheet and pour over the oil, dry in the oven until golden brown. Peel the apples and cut into long thin bars. Melt 50 grams of butter and add apples, sugar and alcohol. Simmer until soft, stirring constantly. Place the apples in a bowl, but do not drain the syrup. Mix apples with dried croutons - they will absorb the juice and prevent the future pie from falling apart. Set aside 20 grams of butter, grease the pan with the rest, and place parchment on the bottom. Mix the yolk with milk.
Now take the rectangular slices and dip them in melted butter or syrup after the apples, line the sides. Brush the edges of the slices with yolk so they stick together. Line the bottom with triangles and fill the gaps with pieces of the leftovers.
Fill the mold with apples. Place the moistened bread on top again. And also put dry crusts on top so that the charlotte doesn’t burn. Place the pie in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the charlotte and remove the crusts, serve immediately with jam or syrup.
Charlotte Russe
You will need 1 package of Savoyardi cookies, for soaking half a glass of sugar syrup (sugar to water 1 to 1), half a glass of liqueur or rum, for cream 10 grams of gelatin, 75 ml of water, egg, 60 grams of sugar, 250 ml of milk, 150 ml of cream and vanilla extract to taste, for jelly 300 grams of cranberries, half a glass of sugar, 2 tablespoons of water, 6 grams of gelatin, 45 ml of water.
Preparation:
Prepare the cream. To do this, soak the gelatin. Mix milk and half a portion of sugar and bring to a boil over low heat. Mix the other half of the sugar with the eggs and add vanilla. Add the hot milk in a stream to the eggs, stirring vigorously. Return the entire mixture to the heat and simmer until thick, stirring constantly. When the cream tightly envelops the spatula, add gelatin directly to the hot cream and stir. Let the cream cool a little. Whip the cream, mix with the cooled cream and leave everything for half an hour.
Line the bottom of the pan with paper and also cut out a strip of paper for the sides. Line the bottom with cookies, place the remaining sticks along the walls. Pour the cream into the mold and leave to harden for 4 hours.
For jelly, soak the gelatin, bring the cranberries and sugar to a boil and boil a little. Strain the finished syrup through a sieve, rubbing with a spoon. Combine the hot sauce with gelatin and stir. Cool the jelly, spread over the top of the pie and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Classic charlotte with apples
You need a glass of flour, a glass of sugar, 4 eggs, half a teaspoon of soda, slaked with vinegar or the same amount of baking powder, 5 sweet and sour apples, you can add vanilla, citrus zest to taste.
Preparation:
Beat the eggs with sugar, sift the flour and baking powder into the dough and beat until smooth. Peel and cut the apples into cubes, adding them directly to the dough. Or cut into slices and place on the bottom of a baking dish and pour the dough on top. Bake at 180 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
Apple charlotte is one of the most popular desserts in August. Summer residents, having reaped a rich harvest, bake this pie almost every day and generously treat it to friends and neighbors. AiF.ru tried to figure out why the pie got its name.
UK versions
Most likely, this pie was invented somewhere in the British Isles, where there is a special attitude towards apples. They believe that this is the fruit that everyone should eat. An English proverb says: “As long as you eat apples, you don’t need the services of a doctor.” (“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”).
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Most Britons are sure that the charlotte recipe appeared at the end of the 18th century thanks to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of the British King George III. This noble person is known for patronizing gardeners. Maybe that’s why various apple dishes often appeared on her table. For tea, she asked to be served a special pie, which was prepared especially to her taste. At court, this dessert was nicknamed charlotte - after the queen, who adored this delicacy.
But there are those in the UK who believe that the recipe for this pie is much older. They take the name of the dessert from the Old English “charlyt”. There is no exact equivalent of this word in Russian; it means a dish made from beaten eggs, sugar and milk. If you believe this version, then charlotte was eaten back in the 5th century.
However, the British romantics also have their own version. They say that once upon a time, a chef fell hopelessly in love with the noble beauty Charlotte. Due to poverty and low origin, he did not have the slightest chance of winning her favor. Nevertheless, the lover decided to dedicate to her his best culinary creation - apple pie.
American version
In the USA, charlotte is considered their national dish. Americans are sure that this pie was invented by a certain chef from the city of Charlotte in North Carolina. However, it is much more likely that the dessert was brought there by the British - the recipe is very similar to the traditional European version. But the majority of US citizens strongly disagree with this argument. After all, in their homeland they even have a saying that is used when talking about a typically American phenomenon or object: “As American as apple pie.”
Charlotte recipes
Classic version
The idea of the classic charlotte was borrowed from the British:
1. Line the bottom of the pan with bread soaked in butter or egg mixture.
2. Place a layer of prepared apples (boiled with sugar or pureed) on top of the bread and cover with a layer of soaked bread. You can make several layers.
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