Chef Juliette
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Pommes en Charlotte
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2592, Pommes en Charlotte, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Pommes en Charlotte is Apple Charlotte (No. 2436) under its French title: stiff russet-apple purée enclosed by buttered bread, baked bronze, and unmoulded warm so the case holds its proud dome.
Desserts
French
Comfort Food
Dinner Party
Holiday
5 min
Active Time
0 min cook•15 min total
Yield6 servings
Pommes en Charlotte (apples baked in a buttered bread case) teaches containment: the bread can only hold what the apples have already become. The one true thing is that the purée must be stiff before it enters the mould. If it slumps in the pan, it will soak the bread instead of supporting it.
The old entry assumed a cook who recognized a quart Charlotte mould, cut decorative croûtons without measuring twice, and understood a “good moderate oven” by feel. It assumed no saucier, perpetual stockpot, or salamander, and neither do you. A metal mould of the same capacity and a conventional oven at 375°F (190°C) are the honest home equivalents. The quart quantity already serves six, so it needs no false brigade reduction. One cook, one stove, one evening.
This source entry points directly to Apple Charlotte (No. 2436), whose ingredients and method remain whole in their own formula. The heart-shaped base croûtons are presentation scaffolding and may become neat overlapping wedges, but the butter-soaked bread, tightly covered sides, reduced apples, and domed filling are the dish itself. Before the mould enters the oven, make certain the purée can stand in a mound. That is the step that decides the Charlotte.
Pommes en Charlotte is the classical French title used for Apple Charlotte (No. 2436), a buttered-bread apple pudding that French kitchens adopted from the British table and refined through exact mould work. In Parisian culinary practice, decorative croûtons and a stiff fruit purée turned a household pudding into a cleanly unmoulded dessert without abandoning its frugal foundation of bread, apples, and butter. Pommes here means apples, not potatoes, and the cross-reference is deliberate: the two titles name the same preparation.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Apple Charlotte
Quantity
1 Apple Charlotte (No. 2436), from a 1-quart (950 ml) mould
prepared according to its own entry and kept in the mould for unmoulding
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Apple Charlotteprepared according to its own entry and kept in the mould for unmoulding | 1 Apple Charlotte (No. 2436), from a 1-quart (950 ml) mould |
Equipment Needed
- •1-quart (950 ml) Charlotte mould or metal pudding basin
- •Wire cooling rack
- •Thin flexible knife
- •Flat serving platter
- •Broad dessert server
Instructions
- 1
Rest the Charlotte
Set the completed Apple Charlotte (No. 2436), still in its mould, on a wire rack for 10 minutes. The source calls for that finished preparation as a whole, so its formula remains in its own entry rather than being repeated here. This short rest lets the domed apple filling settle and gives the buttered bread case enough firmness to leave the mould cleanly.
While making the linked preparation, drag a spoon through the apple purée before filling the mould. The trench should remain open and a spoonful should hold its mound. If it spreads, return it to the sauté pan over medium heat and stir until the excess moisture cooks away. Ça se rattrape. - 2
Unmould without panic
Run a thin flexible knife only around the upper edge, keeping the blade close to the metal so you don't cut through the bread case. Place a flat serving platter upside down over the mould, hold both firmly, and invert them in one decisive movement. Wait 20 seconds before lifting the mould. If the Charlotte clings, set the mould down again, loosen the stubborn spot, and repeat. If one bread panel remains behind, lift it free and press it back onto the warm purée, browned side outward. The filling will hold it in place.
- 3
Cut and serve
Let the unmoulded Charlotte stand for 5 minutes, just long enough for the filling to settle without surrendering the crisp edge of the bread. Cut generous wedges with a thin sharp knife, supporting each one with a broad dessert server. Serve it warm and unadorned, with the butter-bronzed case and apple-apricot centre doing all the work. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Russet means russet apple, not potato. Golden Russet, Ashmead’s Kernel, or Egremont Russet has the firm flesh and concentrated flavour the linked formula wants. If none is available, choose a dry, tart baking apple rather than a watery eating variety.
- •Use pain de mie (fine-crumbed white sandwich bread), preferably a day old. Its close crumb drinks in butter without collapsing, and 1/8-inch (3 mm) slices bend neatly against the mould without becoming heavy.
- •Measure a substitute mould with water before beginning. Capacity matters more than pedigree: a straight-sided metal pudding basin holding 1 quart (950 ml) will brown the bread properly, while glass slows the colouring and ceramic makes release less certain.
- •Real butter is structural here as well as delicious. It seals the bread against the apples, encourages an even bronze crust, and helps the finished Charlotte slip from the mould.
- •Serve with coffee, black tea, or a small glass of demi-sec Vouvray. The dessert already contains its apricot finish, so it needs no decorative sauce or powdered-sugar veil.
Advance Preparation
- •The bread pieces for the linked preparation may be cut one day ahead and kept airtight. Dip them in butter only when lining the mould so their exposed edges remain supple.
- •The apple purée may be cooked one day ahead and chilled. Let it lose its refrigerator chill for 30 minutes before assembling and baking the Charlotte.
- •Time the completed Apple Charlotte (No. 2436) to leave the oven about 15 minutes before dessert. Holding it in the mould for hours softens the bread case, and overnight refrigeration costs the crust its character.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 165g)
Calories
430 calories
Total Fat
18 g
Saturated Fat
11 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
6 g
Cholesterol
45 mg
Sodium
220 mg
Total Carbohydrates
64 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
39 g
Protein
4 g
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