INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Choose a 1 1/2-quart charlotte mold, souffle dish or other round, deep
baking dish. Grate zest (colored portion of peel) from lemon; set aside.
Juice lemon. Place pears in bowl; toss with lemon juice to prevent
discoloration. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons melted butter in a large
skillet over medium heat. Add pears, working in batches, if necessary;
toss. Cover; cook until pears soften, about 6 minutes. Add sugar, nutmeg
and lemon zest. Cook, tossing, until pears are soft, dry and chunky, about
4 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Cut 6 slices bread into long, thin
triangles; cut the remaining slices into long, thin rectangles. Dip one
side of a bread triangle in remaining melted butter; place on bottom of
mold, buttered-side down. Repeat until the bottom is covered with bread
triangles, side by side, the points to the center. Reserve remaining
triangles to top the charlotte. Dip one side of each rectangle in the
butter and arrange them upright, buttered-sides against the sides of the
mold, overlapping slightly. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with a rack in the
center. Place half of the pear mixture in the mold, pressing the bread
against the sides of the mold as you do so. Spread with about 1/2 cup
apricot preserves; sprinkle on 1 tablespoon brandy. Repeat with remaining
pears, another 1/2 cup preserves and another 1 tablespoon brandy. Dip one
side of the remaining bread triangles in the remaining butter; arrange on
top of the mold, buttered-sides up, points in. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon
brandy. Set mold on a baking sheet; put in preheated oven and immediately
lower the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 35 minutes. If after 15 or
20 minutes, the pieces of bread on the top are browning too quickly, cover
the mold loosely with foil. When the top of the charlotte is golden brown,
remove to a wire rack. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small
nonreactive saucepan, melt the remaining 1/2 cup preserves over low heat.
Strain; stir in remaining 3 tablespoons brandy. Strain into a small bowl.
Gently invert the charlotte onto a serving platter; let cool for about 10
minutes longer. Carefully remove the mold. Brush the charlotte with the
warm strained preserves. Serve lukewarm, cut into wedges; pass the whipped
cream separately. Yield: 8 to 12 servings.
Comments: This show-stopper charlotte, a form of bread pudding, is included
in "Classic Home Desserts" by Richard Sax (Chapters Publishing, 1994).
Recipe Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - 11-16-1998
Formatted for MasterCook by Susan Wolfe - swolfe1@prodigy.net
Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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