DIPLOMAT PUDDING

Steps:

• 1. Line bottom of Charlotte pan with buttered parchment paper. 2. Rinse dried fruit under hot water. 3. Heat dried fruit in a saucepan with the 1/2 C. rum and 1 C. water. Simmer 5 min. 4. Drain the fruit and reserve the liquid. 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. 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. 7. Beat the egg, egg yolks, and the brown sugar in a stand mixer until the sugar dissolves. Add the vanilla. 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. 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. 10. Trim off protruding cookie ends. 11. Bake in a Bain Marie at 325 F for 50 minutes. 12. Remove from oven, let cool in the pan, then chill in the pan. To serve: 13. Puree the strawberries with 2 T. of sugar and strain out the seeds. Whip the cream with a bit of vanilla and sugar. 14. Unmold the dessert onto a broad plate. Pipe with the whipped cream in a pretty pattern. Serve with the strawberry sauce. This dessert keeps for 2 days in the pan (so you can make it ahead).