Chocolate Charlotte with Rum Crème Anglaise

Trim about 1 centimeter off one end of each ladyfinger so they can stand upright. Line the bottom of your charlotte mold or 20cm springform pan with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine the water, 50g of granulated sugar, and 15ml of dark rum to create a simple dipping syrup. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Lightly dip the uncut side of the trimmed ladyfingers into the rum syrup. Stand them upright tightly against the inside wall of the mold, trimmed ends down. Cover the bottom of the mold with additional dipped ladyfingers, trimming to fit any gaps.

Place the finely chopped dark chocolate, unsalted butter, and a pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl over a medium saucepan of gently simmering water to create a bain-marie. Stir occasionally until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to 35°C/95°F.

In a separate mixing bowl, whip the cold heavy whipping cream until it reaches soft peaks. Be careful not to overwhip, as it will make folding difficult.

Gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the cooled melted chocolate to lighten the mixture. Carefully fold in the remaining whipped cream in two additions using a silicone spatula until no white streaks remain, keeping the mousse airy.

Pour the chocolate mousse into the ladyfinger-lined mold, smoothing the top. If desired, cover the top with any remaining ladyfingers. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.

Transfer the charlotte to the refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the mousse to set completely.

To begin the creme anglaise, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and the scraped vanilla bean seeds and pod in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low until it reaches a bare simmer at 80°C/175°F, then remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks and 100g of granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Gradually pour in the hot milk mixture in a slow, steady stream while whisking continuously to temper the eggs.

Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula in a figure-eight motion, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and registers 82°C/180°F. Do not let it boil.

Immediately pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl to stop the cooking process and catch the vanilla pod or any cooked egg bits. Stir in the 45ml of dark rum.

Unmold the charlotte onto a serving plate. Slice carefully and serve each portion with a generous pour of the warm or chilled rum creme anglaise.