Warm Apple Charlottes - butter

Method

• Melt 1 stick of the butter in a large casserole.
• Add the sugar and cook over moderately high heat, stirring until pale gold but grainy, about 5 minutes.
• Add the apples and stir until bubbling.
• Add the cinnamon and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are broken down, about 40 minutes.
• Begin gently stirring from the bottom of the casserole and cook until the mixture is lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes longer.
• Transfer to a platter to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Melt the remaining 3 sticks of butter in a medium saucepan; skim off the foam.
• Pour the melted butter into a small bowl, leaving any milk solids behind.
• Brush ten 4-inch ramekins with the melted butter.
• Using a 4-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp out 10 disks from 10 of the bread slices; discard the trimmings.
• Brush the disks on both sides with melted butter and set them in the ramekins.
• Remove the crusts from the remaining slices of bread.
• Brush the slices on both sides with the melted butter and cut each slice into 3 equal rectangles.
• Stand 10 of the bread rectangles inside the rim of each ramekin, overlapping them slightly.
• Spoon 2/3 cup of the apple mixture into each ramekin and smooth the surface.
• Carefully fold the bread over the filling, pressing lightly to enclose the filling.
• Cover the ramekins with foil and bake for 1 hour, or until the bread is slightly browned and the filling is bubbling.
• Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the bread is browned and crisp.
• Slip on an oven mitt and unmold the charlottes 1 at a time by turning them onto the mitt and then setting them right side up on dessert plates.
• Let cool for 15 minutes.
• Set a scoop of ice cream on top and serve right away.