Modernizing the Apple Charlotte

Way back when, in Season One of Downton, there was a dreadful Apple Charlotte recipe concocted.  Of course, it is only dreadful if one pours salt rather than sugar on it.  That goes without saying.

In Mrs. Beeton's cookbook, the recipe goes as follows:

Butter, for greasing the pie dish and buttering the bread
9 slices of bread, crusts removed
6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sugar, enough to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (isn't a modern stove a wonderful invention?)
Butter a pie dish and the bread slices.  Place a layer of bread at the bottom, then a layer of apples.  Sprinkle over these a portion of the lemon zest and juice, and sweeten with sugar.  Place another layer of bread, and then apples, proceeding in this manner until the dish is full.

Then cover it up with the peel of the apples, to preserve the top from browning or burning.  Bake in the oven for about 45-50 minutes; turn the charlotte onto a dish, sprinkle sugar on top, and serve.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this recipe (notice the lack of salt).  However, the Victorians had a very different taste palate than our modern tongues are used to.  Here is a modernized version of it that I whipped together for lunch today.

Ingredients:

8 slices of bread, any type but I'm sure something like a french loaf would taste best
4 large apples, cored (I kept the peels for a bit of color)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.

Smoother a pie dish with butter (I suppose you could use cooking spray if you are counting calories).  Cut your bread slices in half (triangles are the only way to do this properly but other ways can be tried), and butter one or both sides (depending on how you fight the battle of taste verses health).  Layer four of the slices of bread onto the bottom.  On top of that layer, add the apple slices.  Sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice.  Repeat bread, then apple, until you have run out of ingredients.

Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes.

Ingredients for Caramel Sauce:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla

While it is baking, whip together a caramel sauce for a topping.  In a saucepan on medium-low head, whisk the brown sugar, milk and butter together.  Keep whisking it until it boils (I usually turn on a jazz tune and whisk to the tempo and until it starts boiling up).  Add the 1 tablespoon of vanilla and remove it from heat.  Note: This is a thin caramel sauce.

When the Apple Charlotte is done baking, pour the caramel sauce over it and serve.  Bon appetite!