Shopping list for 4 persons
6 slices white sandwich bread
2 big apples
a bag of dried apricots
150 ml water or white wine
175g butter
60g sugar
icing sugar for dusting
optional vanilla ice cream
Choosing a bake from France is a very difficult task! There are so many sublime French cakes and biscuits, think Tarte Tatin, Clafoutis and Macarons! Today we choose for a classic simple bake from Normandy, the Charlotte. Simple but super-tasty!
How to make Charlottes
Grease the molds and preheat the oven to 180°C
Peel the apples, remove the core and cut the apples into little cubes.
Cut the dried apricots into small strips.
Place the water, 30g sugar, 50g butter and the fruit in the pan and bring it to the boil.
Let the fruit simmer for 20 minutes until the apples are soft and the fluid is almost evaporated. Taste if the fruit is sweet enough.
Cut four circles from the bread tracing the molds, cut out two bottoms and two lids.
Remove the crusts from the last two slices and cut the bread in six even pieces.
Melt 125g butter with 30g sugar and soak the pieces of bread one by one in it.
Line the molds with bread, let it overlap for firmness and press the bread in tight.
Spoon the fruit into the breadbaskets in the molds.
Cover the bread basket with a bread lid.
Bake the Charlotte's in app. 30 minutes golden brown.
Leave the Charlotte's to cool in the mold then take them out gently. Luke warm they taste best.
Dust the Charlotte's with icing sugar and spoon a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side but without they taste also great!
Friday post and cake from Greece!