Salted Caramel “Apple Charlotte”
For Charlotte:
1/2 loaf French or firm white bread to yield 4 cups soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon finely grated crystallized ginger
4 cups peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup apricot jam
Remove crusts from bread and allow slices to dry out. Tear bread into pieces and place in food processor. Pulse until crumbs are pea-size. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and toast crumbs until golden brown. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. In another bowl, combine apples and lemon juice. Warm jam in microwave (25 to 30 seconds, medium power) to make easier to spread. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter sides and bottom of 8-inch casserole or springform baking pan. Spread 1-1/2 cups bread crumbs on bottom of prepared pan. Cover with half of apple slices. Sprinkle with one-third of brown sugar mixture. Spread half of apricot jam on top. (Pastry brush or soft spatula works well.) Repeat with 1-1/2 cups bread crumbs, remaining apples, one-third of brown sugar mixture, and remaining apricot jam. Combine remaining bread crumbs and remaining one-third of brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned.
For Topping:
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon rum or brandy (optional)
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
sea salt
In a bowl, whip cream with confectioners’ sugar and brandy (if using), until stiff peaks form. To serve: Cut Charlotte into slices and top each slice with whipped cream, caramel sauce (warmed, if desired), and a pinch of sea salt
Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
4 medium sweet potatoes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup pecan halves, finely chopped
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Shave a thin sliver from one side of each potato to give it a flat surface to stand on while you slice it. Make thin slices into the potato about 1/16-inch thick, stopping before you cut all the way through. (Placing a chopstick on either side of the potato while you slice it can help stop the blade before it cuts all the way through.) Put each potato on a separate sheet of foil. Shape the foil around the potatoes to wrap them, but leave the tops open and exposed. Put the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally, until browned and nutty, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Drizzle the butter mixture over the potatoes and pinch the foil together on top to seal the potato inside. Bake for 45 minutes, then let cool for a few moments. Remove the potatoes from the foil, put them on a serving platter and drizzle with the sauce leftover in each foil packet. Sprinkle with the pecans before serving
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