Milanese Charlotte, or Charlotte alla Milanese: Charlottes fall into the category of dolci semifreddi, in other words chilled desserts. They are also generally much more elaborate than this Milanese version, generally calling for pan di spagna dipped in liqueur, whipped cream, candied fruit, and all sorts of other things. In short, they're desserts for when company is expected. So is this Milanese version, though not so much for the ingredients as for the presentation:
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/4 pound (100 g) renette apples (a rather tart baking variety)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 ounces (50 g) raisins, soaked in warm water
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Rum
- The grated zest of a lemon
- Thinly sliced white bread
Preparation:
Peel, core and slice the apples. Put them in a pot with all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the lemon zest. Sprinkle the white wine over them, and simmer them for a few minutes. Take a round-bottomed pudding mold of the proper size to hold the ingredients; combine the remaining sugar and the butter and use the mixture to grease it. Line the mold with the bread. Drain the apple wedges well and put a first layer into the mold; lay half the raisins over them and sprinkle some rum over all. make another layer with the remaining apples and raisins, and cover all with slices of buttered bread. Dust with more sugar and bake the charlotte in a 340 F (170 C) oven for about an hour. Turn it out onto a serving dish, sprinkle it with rum, and light the rum at the table.
