Pear and Raisin Charlotte
- 2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 6 tablespoons dark rum
- 8 ripe but firm pears, preferably Bosc, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
- 13 cup sugar (approximately)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 thin slices firm-textured white bread
- 10 tablespoons clarified unsalted butter
- Whipped cream, creme fraiche or custard sauce
- Use some of the softened butter to lightly coat a five- to six-cup charlotte mold, souffle dish or deep round baking dish.
- Put the raisins in a dish and add the rum.
- Melt the remaining softened butter in a large, heavy skillet.
- Add the pears and sugar and cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until the pears have softened almost to a puree and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Stir in vanilla, the raisins and rum.
- Continue cooking over low heat another 10 minutes or so, until the mixture forms a thick puree.
- Adjust sweetening to taste.
- Remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut eight of the bread slices in half to form rectangles and the rest in half diagonally.
- Heat some of the clarified butter in a skillet and saute the pieces of bread until they are golden brown on one side only, adding more butter as needed.
- Fit the triangles, sauteed side down, in the bottom of the baking dish so they fit exactly.
- Trim away any excess and reserve.
- Arrange the rectangles, sauteed side out, around the sides of the dish, overlapping slightly.
- Fill the center with the pear mixture and, if necessary, trim the bread rectangles to be level with the fruit.
- Scatter all trimmings on top.
- Cover the top with foil and bake about 30 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool for an hour.
- Unmold the charlotte.
- Serve with whipped cream, creme fraiche or custard sauce.
butter, golden raisins, dark rum, sugar, vanilla, thin slices firmtextured white bread, butter, cream
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/5540 (may not work)