Dorrie Kimkaran

 

“This is an incredibly rich dessert that I make during the holidays or special occasions.  It is important that you use this brownie crust recipe as the brownie comes out chewy and flexible enough to bend into strips, thus making a crust for filling. My friends call it my “signature” dessert! I slice thin pieces – the charlotte serves 16.  You’ll use every mixing bowl you have but it will be well worth it .”

Crust:

  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • ¾ cup flour, sifted
  • ½ t. baking powder
  • ¼ t. salt
  • 1 t. vanilla

Filling:

  • 3 packages (8 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate bits
  • 1/2 cup strong, brewed coffee
  • ½ cup coffee liqueur
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Crust

1    Prepare pan: grease a 9x9x2-baking pan.  Cut a piece of wax paper to fit the bottom and up 2 of the sides of the pan.  Grease and flour the paper.

2.   Melt the butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat.  Remove; beat in sugar and eggs.

3.   Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper.  Stir this into the chocolate mix until smooth; add the vanilla and stir.

4.   Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cool completely on a rack, invert the pan on a cookie sheet and peel off the wax paper.  Slice this brownie sheet horizontally into 2 thin layers.

5.   Cut a 7-inch circle from one layer, and fit, cut side up, into the bottom of an 8-inch soufflé or other straight-sided dish.  Cut the remaining layer into 3 strips and arrange the strips around the edge of the dish.. This forms a brownie “crust” for the outside of the charlotte.

Filling:
1.   Melt chocolate bits with coffee in the top of a double boiler.  Remove and stir in the coffee liqueur.

2.   Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl, using and electric mixer, until very thick.  Stir this into the chocolate mixture, blending well.  Pour mixture into a large bowl and cool a bit.

3.   Beat egg whites in a small bowl until stiff but not dry.  Beat ½ cup cream until stiff.  Gently fold the cream, then the egg whites into the chocolate mix until no streaks of white remain.

4.   Spoon this mixture into the brownie-lined dish.  Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Trim the brownie crust edge level with the filling.

5.   To serve: loosen around the edges of the crust with a spatula; turn out the brownie charlotte (filling side down) onto a service dish.  Whip the remaining cream until stiff and pipe or swirl onto the top of the charlotte.  I use shaved chocolate curls (use a veggie peeler and shave slices of chocolate from a candy bar) to decorate the whipped cream.  The charlotte should be kept refrigerated.