Diplomat Pudding

Directions

1. 1
   {"0":"1. Line bottom of Charlotte pan with buttered parchment paper.","2":"2. Rinse dried fruit under hot water.","4":"3. Heat dried fruit in a saucepan with the 1\/2 C. rum and 1 C. water. Simmer 5 min.","6":"4. Drain the fruit and reserve the liquid.","8":"5. Mix the fruit\/rum liquid with 1\/2 C. water in a pie plate. Quickly place a ladyfinger in the liquid, about 2 seconds per side. You'll need around 45 ladyfingers for this step. Reserve the rest dry.","10":"6. Line the bottom of the Charlotte pan with lady fingers: trim with scissors and then patch the open places with the scraps. Line the sides of the mold with the ladyfingers in a vertical position.","12":"7. Beat the egg, egg yolks, and the brown sugar in a stand mixer until the sugar dissolves. Add the vanilla.","14":"8. Bring the milk to a boil and then, with the mixer running on medium, pour the hot milk into the egg\/sugar mixture in a thin, steady stream to make a thin custard.","16":"9. ladle 1\/3 C. of custard into the Charlotte pan. Sprinkle with fruit and dot with jam. place 3 or 4 ladyfingers on top and pour 1\/3 C. more custard. Top with fruit and jam. Continue until you reach near the top of the pan - ending with ladyfingers. Pour over any remaining custard.","18":"10. Trim off protruding cookie ends.","20":"11. Bake in a Bain Marie at 325 F for 50 minutes.","22":"12. Remove from oven, let cool in the pan, then chill in the pan.","24":"To serve:","26":"13. Puree the strawberries with 2 T. of sugar and strain out the seeds. Whip the cream with a bit of vanilla and sugar.","28":"14. Unmold the dessert onto a broad plate. Pipe with the whipped cream in a pretty pattern. Serve with the strawberry sauce.","30":"This dessert keeps for 2 days in the pan (so you can make it ahead)."}