Spring Fruit Charlotte Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tumble ¾ of the berries into a medium baking dish. Whizz the remainder of the berries in a food processor to make a purée, then stir this into the dish along with 2 tbsp sugar.
• Spread the loaf slices with butter, then cut into triangles. Cover the top of the fruit with the bread slices, then scatter with the rest of the sugar. Cover with foil, bake for 10 mins, uncover the dish, then bake for 5 mins more until the fruit is starting to bubble and the bread is toasty. Serve with dollops of crème fraîche or fromage frais.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter a 1-litre pudding basin, then dust with sugar, making sure you cover the whole inside and tipping out any excess sugar. Put a strip of parchment parchment across it (so it's easier to remove the pudding later).
• Cut the crusts off the bread and flatten the slices with your hands. Dip in the melted butter, covering both sides. Use around 4½ slices of the bread to line the base and sides of the basin, overlapping them to make sure there aren't any gaps. Transfer the mould to the fridge while you make the filling.
• To make the filling, put the sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat for a few mins until it turns a dark caramel colour - avoid stirring it. Add the butter and stir to combine, being careful as it will steam a little. Add the apples, orange juice, zest and cinnamon, and stir to combine. Cook over a high heat for 5-8 mins until the apple has softened and the liquid has reduced slightly, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the pudding basin from the fridge and pour the apple filling into it. Cover the top of the filling with the remaining bread and press down the edges of the bread to seal it together.
• Put the pudding on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 mins, or until golden brown. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then carefully tip upside down onto a serving plate and remove from the basin. Serve with custard or ice cream.

Steps:

• Cut enough rhubarb into 1/4-inch-thick slices to measure 6 cups, reserving remainder for another use. Cook rhubarb, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a large heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb exudes juices. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb falls apart and is reduced to about 2 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• While rhubarb simmers, brush flat side of ladyfingers with kirsch. Lightly oil mold and line with 2 (24-inch-long) crisscrossed sheets of plastic wrap, letting excess hang over side. Line side and bottom of mold with some of ladyfingers, flat sides facing inward and trimming bottom ones to fit snugly.
• Beat together cream and confectioners sugar until it just holds stiff peaks. Spoon half of rhubarb into mold, smoothing top, and spoon half of cream over it, smoothing top. Cover cream with 1 layer of ladyfingers. Repeat layering with remaining rhubarb, cream, and ladyfingers.
• Fold plastic wrap to cover charlotte and weight with a flat-bottomed dish filled with a 2-lb weight. Chill charlotte 1 day.
• Remove weight and dish. Unfold plastic wrap and invert a platter over mold. Invert charlotte onto platter, using plastic wrap to loosen charlotte.