Light Strawberry Charlotte

📝 Ingredients

• 28 sponge fingers (about 7 g each)
• 150 ml water + 25 g caster sugar + ½ lemon (for the syrup)
• 500 g fromage frais (3% fat)
• 50 g caster sugar
• 6 gelatine leaves (2 g each)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200 ml whipping cream (30% fat), very cold
• 500 g strawberries (2 punnets)

🍴 Utensils

• 18 to 20 cm charlotte mould
• Electric hand mixer
• Mixing bowl + whisk
• Small saucepan
• Flexible spatula
• Cling film

📖 Steps

1. Soak the gelatine leaves in a large bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the syrup water to the boil with 25 g sugar and the juice of the ½ lemon, stir until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat.
2. Quickly rinse the strawberries under cold water before hulling them (otherwise they soak up water), then dry them on kitchen paper. Dice 300 g of the strawberries and keep the nicest ones in the fridge for decoration.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the fromage frais with 50 g sugar and the vanilla. Squeeze out the gelatine and melt it in 3 tbsp of the still-warm syrup (put it back over low heat for a few seconds if it has cooled), stirring until completely dissolved.
4. Mix the melted gelatine with 3 tbsp of the fromage frais, then pour it all back into the bowl, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Pour the rest of the syrup into a shallow bowl and leave it to cool for a few minutes.
5. Line the mould with cling film, leaving it overhanging. Dip the sponge fingers in the syrup for 1 second per side (too soaked, they fall apart), stand them upright against the side, rounded side facing the mould, then cover the base with trimmed sponge fingers. Keep 8 for the top.
6. Whip the very cold cream with an electric mixer, first on medium speed then on high, until it forms firm peaks that hold on the beaters. Gently fold it into the fromage frais with a spatula, lifting the mixture, then add the diced strawberries.
7. Immediately pour the mousse into the lined mould, smooth the top, then cover with the remaining syrup-soaked sponge fingers. Fold the film over, place a plate on top and leave to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
8. To turn out, invert the mould onto a serving plate and carefully peel off the film. Decorate the top with the reserved strawberries, halved. Slice the charlotte with a serrated knife and serve well chilled.