Carlotas 1943 (Sweet Charlottes)

Unión Nacional de Productores de Azúcar (Mexico). Almanaque Dulce. México, D.F. : Azúcar, S.A. [TX819.S94 .A4435]

Almanaque Dulce 1943. Unión Nacional de Productores de Azúcar (Mexico). UTSA Libraries Special Collections.
Almanaque Dulce 1943. Unión Nacional de Productores de Azúcar (Mexico). UTSA Libraries Special Collections.


Carlotas or Charlottes encompass two slightly different desserts – the traditional British charlotte is “a hot pudding consisting of fruit, typically apple, baked within a case of bread, sponge cake, etc., in a characteristically deep round mold,” and the more elegant charlotte russe or Russian charlotte, “a cold pudding in which custard replaces the fruit.”[1]

Hot charlottes began appearing in English recipe books in the early 19th century and its name may (possibly, or possibly not) be in reference to Queen Charlotte (1744-1818), a patron of apple growers. The Russian charlotte is usually credited to early 19th century French chef Antonin Careme, who named it in honor of Czar Alexander of Russia.[2]

The 1941 Almanaque Dulce includes recipes for both types of charlottes, including versions using apples, strawberries, anise, chocolate, almonds, peaches, pecans, and lemons.

 

 


[1] “Charlotte.” An A-Z of Food and Drink. Ed. John Ayto. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

[2] ibid.

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