Tiramisu's Precursor?

Yes, I have a thing about Tiramisus now...

I was looking through a classic recipe book my Gramma passed down to me, "Encyclopedia of Canadian Cuisine" (Canadian Home Magazine, 2nd printing, 1963). This gem by Madame Benoit was rated by the Vancouver Public Library as 19th out of 133 "books of the century". Anyway, I was trying to find a recipe for Ladyfingers (p.548) or Zabaglione (p. 738-9), and I stumbled across a picture of a familiar looking recipe...

Coffee Charlotte Russe (p.751)

1 envelope gelatine
1/2c sugar
1/8t slt
2T instant coffee
1 1/4c milk
2 eggs, separated
1/2t vanilla
1c whipping cream
8-12 ladyfingers

1. Mix together 1/4c sugar, gelatine, salt and instant coffee in top of double boiler. Beat the milk with the egg yolks; add to the gelatine mixture. Cook in double boiler over boiling water, stirring constatly, for approximately 5 minutes or until the gelatine is dissolved. Remove from heat, add the vanilla. Refrigerate until the mixture is half set.

2. Beat the egg whites, add the 1/4c remaining sugar, beat until peaks form.

3. Fold the half-set coffee mixture in the stiff egg whites. Whip the cream and add.

4. Set the ladyfingers all around individual molds, or a crystal bowl. Pour the cream and refrigerate from 4-12 hours.

In the photograph, which caught my eye, the ladyfingers look as though the tips have been dipped in chocolate, and there is a light dusting of dark powder (cocoa?) on the top of the cream, There's also whipped cream decorating the bottom edge.