Apple Charlotte
Britain is famous for its hearty filling puddings and apple Charlotte—believed to be named after the wife of King George III—is a very popular one. The charm of a baked Charlotte, that quintessentially British hot pudding, lies in the thrifty trick of transforming lemons into lemonade. Take day-old white bread, mold slices of it into a round casing, cemented with lashings of butter, fill it with fruit and bake it until the bread is golden and the center explosively pulpy. Traditionally filled with apple, variations include almost any fruit, from bananas and berries to pears or pineapples, but why muck around with British pud lore?
The Charlotte is made with days-old bread that's slathered in melted butter, filled with stewed apples, then baked. Surprisingly, this is not as heavy as some of the equally famous puddings such as spotted dick or treacle sponge, the real heavyweights of British puddings. The delicious fall dessert is surprisingly light, but still comforting.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound apples
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons salted clarified butter
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 4 to 6 slices white Farmhouse bread
For Serving: custard or whipped cream