A Deconstructed Strawberry Charlotte
When I was in ninth grade, my home economics teacher, whose name I cannot remember, taught us how to make a very simple dessert, which I now believe was her version of a strawberry charlotte. With store bought ingredients, any fifteen year old could feel the accomplishment of wow!
The recipe, as I remember it, involved slicing the top off and then hollowing out, a store bought angel food cake, mixing fresh, sliced strawberries into a container of Cool Whip, filling the cake with the whip cream–strawberry mixture, replacing the sliced off top, and then icing the cake with whip cream and decorating it with fresh strawberries. Honestly, I made that dessert for years, and it was always a hit.
Charlottes are scrumptious, make a lovely presentation, and are a perfect dessert or addition to afternoon tea or a weekend brunch buffet. However, I have found that my guest sometimes feel that the charlotte may be a bit too . . . shall we say decadent? The deconstructed strawberry charlotte offers the same great flavors, without the additional sugar or guilt.
Simply pick the most beautiful berries you can find, wash them gently and let them come to room temperature before serving. I prefer to leave the hulls on, but feel free to cut them off, if you like. Pile them into a beautiful serving dish and offer your guest the choice of whipped or heavy cream (perhaps a bit of each), add a few crisp lady fingers to dip into the cream and berries – delicious and delightful!
