A Charlotte Russe for the Crawley Family

[The cooks at Downton Abbey prepared a Charlotte Russe for dinner when the Crawleys came for a visit. I did not know what a "Charlotte Russe" was, so I looked it up on Wikipedia.  I realized that one of my favorite holiday desserts to stir up is a Charlotte Russe and all I had ever called it was "Ladyfinger Dessert".  It sounds so much fancier and more delicious to call it by its real name!  From now on, we shall be eating "Charlotte Russe"!]

Charlotte Russe

Ladyfingers (light, sweet sponge cakes)
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. brandy
1/2 c. sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 t. vanilla

Brush ladyfingers with rum.
Line side of an 8" springform pan with half of the ladyfingers.

Beat cream cheese, brandy, and sugar.  In large bowl, whip cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form.  Fold cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.  Layer ladyfingers, then cream cheese mixture, ladyfingers, and then add the rest of the cream cheese mixture.  Chill.  Remove side of springform pan.
Top with cherry pie filling or strawberries in glaze.  I usually tie a Christmas grosgrain ribbon around the dessert before serving it--makes it look even prettier.

An Old Celtic Blessing of Light~2015

May the blessing of Light be on you, Light without and Light within.

May the blessed Sunlight shine upon you and warm your heart till it glows, like a great peat fire, so that the stranger may come and warm himself at it, as well as the friend.

And may the Light shine out of the eyes of you, like a candle set in the windows of a house, bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of the rain be on you – the soft sweet rain. May it fall upon your spirit so that all the little flowers may spring up, and shed their sweetness on the air.

And may the blessing of the great rains be on you, that they beat upon your spirit and wash it fair and clean, and leave there many a shining pool, and sometimes a star.

And may the blessing of the earth be on you – the great round earth. May you ever have a kindly greeting for people you pass as you are going along the roads.

And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly.

                                                        ~for all my friends and family~