Pudding Diplomate

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-liter (6-cup) deep metal bavarois or charlotte mould
• •Heavy-bottomed medium saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Electric hand mixer or balloon whisk
• •Large bowl for an ice-water bath
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the mould

   Brush a 1.5-liter deep bavarois mould with the thinnest possible film of neutral oil, then blot it with kitchen paper until no droplets remain. Arrange the candied fruit closely over the bottom in a simple mosaic, remembering that this hidden surface will become the crown. Combine the currants and raisins with the tepid water and leave them for 15 minutes, then drain and blot them thoroughly. Wet fruit loosens the bavarois around it, so be exact here.

   A smooth-sided metal charlotte mould releases most cleanly, but a deep glass or stainless-steel mixing bowl of the same capacity is an honest home equivalent.
2. 2

   Bloom and infuse

   Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cold water and leave it undisturbed for 10 minutes, until every grain has swollen. Put the milk, vanilla pod, and scraped seeds in a heavy saucepan and bring them just below a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and infuse for 10 minutes, then remove the pod.

3. 3

   Cook the crème anglaise

   Whisk the yolks, sugar, and salt until smooth and slightly lightened. Slowly whisk in one-third of the hot vanilla milk, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and reaching well into the corners, until the crème anglaise, the pouring custard base, coats the back of the spoon and reaches 82 to 84°C (180 to 183°F). Never let it boil. If the first fine curds appear, remove it from the heat immediately, blend in 2 tablespoons of the measured cold cream, and strain it into a cool bowl. Ça se rattrape. Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot custard until completely dissolved, then pass the custard through a fine sieve.

4. 4

   Fold the bavarois

   Set the bowl of custard over ice water and stir gently until it cools to about 24°C (75°F) and begins to thicken, leaving a brief trail behind the spatula. Whip the remaining cold cream to soft peaks. Fold one-third into the custard to lighten it, then fold in the rest without beating out its volume. If the custard sets into small lumps before the cream goes in, hold the bowl over barely warm water and stir only until smooth. If the finished bavarois still flows like milk, return it to the ice for a few minutes, stirring often, until it falls in slow ribbons and softly mounds. That texture holds the layers in place.

5. 5

   Saturate the biscuits

   Pour the kirsch into a shallow dish. Brush or quickly turn each ladyfinger in it until saturated through but still intact, breaking or trimming the biscuits only as needed to fit the mould. Crisp ladyfingers absorb quickly; leave them bathing in the kirsch and they collapse before they reach the pudding.

6. 6

   Build the layers

   Spoon a layer of bavarois gently over the candied-fruit mosaic, filling the spaces without disturbing the design. Add a close layer of half the kirsch-soaked ladyfingers, sprinkle with half the currants and raisins, and dot small spoonfuls of half the apricot jam here and there. Cover completely with bavarois, then repeat the biscuit, dried-fruit, and jam layer. Finish with the remaining bavarois, making certain it reaches the sides and seals the biscuits inside. Tap the mould once against a folded towel to settle any large pockets. If the bavarois firms before the mould is filled, warm the outside of its bowl for a few seconds and fold until spoonable; don't whisk it.

7. 7

   Set it cold

   Cover the mould without letting the covering touch the surface and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, until the centre feels firm under gentle pressure. Do not freeze it. Gelatin that freezes can release water as it thaws, while a patient cold set gives the bavarois its clean, creamy cut.

8. 8

   Unmould and serve

   Turn out the Pudding Diplomate only when the table is ready. Dip the mould in warm, never hot, water for 5 seconds, wipe it dry, place a chilled serving platter over it, and invert both together. Hold firmly and give one short downward shake. If it clings, return the mould to the warm water for another 2 seconds or wrap it briefly in a warm damp towel. Once released, refrigerate it for 10 minutes if the surface has softened, then slice with a thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use crisp ladyfingers, the dry biscuits à la cuillère sold for charlottes and tiramisu. Soft, cake-like fingers drink the kirsch unevenly and disappear into paste.
• •Choose true kirsch, a clear, dry cherry eau-de-vie, rather than sweet cherry liqueur. The apricot jam and candied fruit already provide sweetness; kirsch supplies perfume and a clean cherry finish.
• •Blot the plumped currants and raisins thoroughly. Their soaking water has done its work once they swell, and carrying it into the mould weakens the set around each fruit.
• •The pudding needs no sauce or decorative greenery. Its candied-fruit crown and apricot seams are its finish. Serve it cold with coffee or a small glass of kirsch.

Advance Preparation

• •Assemble the pudding the day before the dinner and refrigerate it in its mould overnight. The set becomes steadier and the kirsch settles through the biscuits without losing its perfume.
• •The candied fruit can be cut and arranged in the oiled mould several hours before assembly. Keep the prepared mould covered and cold.
• •Keep the finished pudding moulded for no more than 2 days. Unmould it only just before serving, as the source directs, so its edges remain sharp and its surface stays glossy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 225g)