Sometimes as we move into a new year, one more special dinner party confronts us: a birthday, a visit from someone special. A unique dessert can be the crowning touch to that occasion. For me that dessert is Princess Charlotte. You might even try it some evening, just for those you love.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
- 6 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 pint whipping cream
- 6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup slivered roasted almonds
Directions
- Soften the gelatin in cold water and set aside. Mix sugar and cornstarch together in a heavy saucepan. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Add milk to the egg yolks and blend thoroughly. Then add this mixture to the sugar mixture. Cook over low flame, stirring constantly, until the mixture has the consistency of heavy cream. Add the softened gelatin and stir until dissolved. Cool. Then chill until the mixture begins to thicken, but do not let it get firm. Whip the cream, adding the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla to the mixture as you whip it.
- Fold the custard mixture and almonds into the whipped cream. Spoon the mixture into one large mold or six individual molds and chill until firm.
- Unmold and serve with Red Raspberry Sauce.
Helpful Hint
An attractive way to serve Princess Charlotte Pudding is on a large glass plate. Soak sugar cubes in orange extract and place around the plate at about three-inch intervals. Just before bringing the pudding to the table, light the sugar cubes to provide a dramatic entrance.
Red Raspberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen red raspberries
- sugar, to taste
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Directions
- Force the thawed berries through a sieve into a small saucepan to yield approximately 1 cup of juice. Then add sugar to the juice. In a separate dish, mix the cornstarch with a little of the juice and then add this mixture to the saucepan. Cook the mixture over a low flame, stirring constantly, until it is clear and slightly thickened.
- This sauce can either be poured over the pudding before it is served or served separately at the table in a glass pitcher.
Helpful Hint
Most packages of thawed berries will not yield a cup of juice. Supplement the level of fluids by adding water back through the sieve with the residue of the berries still remaining, about two tablespoons at a time, until you have one cup.