Apple Charlotte

funny menu for you
serves 4–6
ingredients
900g/2lb cooking apples
100g/4oz caster sugar
150g/5oz butter
juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons sieved apricot jam
8 slices white bread
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
• Peel, core and slice the apples, and put them in a pan with the caster
sugar and 25g/1oz of the butter. Add 3 tablespoons water, cover the
pan and poach gently over a low heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lid,
stir and turn up the heat, continuing to cook until you have a thick purée.
Stir in the lemon juice and apricot jam, and reserve.
• Melt the remaining butter and cut the crusts off the slices of white bread.
Cut the bread into fingers, brush with the butter and use them to line a
20cm/8in mould or soufflé dish. Pour in the apple purée, and cover the
top with more butter-soaked bread.
• Place the dish on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 35 minutes
until the top is crisp and golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes
before sliding a palette knife round the edge and turning out onto a
serving dish. Cut into wedges and serve with cream or ice cream.