| 1 | With a pastry brush, lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 1 ?quart, 3 to 3 ?inch deep charlotte or other straight-sided mold with the tablespoon of softened butter. |
| 2 | pour all but 3 tablespoons of the clarified butter into a large bowl. |
| 3 | With a sharp knife, cut three slices of the bread into 6 triangles by slicing them in half diagonally. |
| 4 | Cut another 7 slices of bread in half. |
| 5 | One at a time, briefly dip the bread triangles into the bowl of clarified butter and lay them side by side in the bottom of the mold. |
| 6 | With a small, sharp knife, trim the triangles so that their points meet in the middle and no spaces show between the slices. |
| 7 | Now dip the bread halves in the butter and stand them upright around the sides of the mold, overlapping them slightly. |
| 8 | The bread will rise slightly above the top of the mold. |
| 9 | cut another 3 slices of the bread into 1 inch squares. |
| 10 | Heat the reserved 3 tablespoons of clarified butter in a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet set over high heat and drop in the bread squares. |
| 11 | Turning them about constantly with a wooden spoon, cook the squares for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are lightly and evenly coloured on all sides. |
| 12 | Remove the browned bread squares from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. |
| 13 | in a 4 quart casserole combine the apples, sugar and water. |
| 14 | Bring to a boil over high heat , then cover tightly, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until the apples are tender and show no resistance when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. |
| 15 | Uncover and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the apples become a thick, coarse puree. |
| 16 | Stir in the cinnamon and refrigerate the puree until well chilled. |
| 17 | when ready to assemble and bake the dessert, stir the browned bread squares into the apple puree and pour the mixture into the prepared mold. |
| 18 | Do not be concerned if the filling rises above the rim of the mold; the apple puree will subside as it bakes. |
| 19 | preheat the oven to 375°F. |
| 20 | Cut 2 of the remaining slices of bread in half, dip them in butter and place them on top of the filling. |
| 21 | Cut the remaining slice into narrow strips, dip them into the butter and arrange them around the top to cover the exposed areas. |
| 22 | bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour or until the bread is golden brown. |
| 23 | Cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, then invert a flat serving platter on top and, grasping the plate and mold firmly together, turn them over. |
| 24 | Let the mold rest in this fashion for another 30 minutes before gently lifting it off the cake. |
| 25 | either pour the apricot sauce over the top and sides of the unmolded apple charlotte, or serve it separately in a bowl. |
| 26 | recipe by : time-life foods of the world russian cooking |
