A More Dramatic Charlotte Crust

The charlottes look more dramatic if the walls are made with thin strips of bread arranged vertically instead of on their sides. To do this, brush the inside of the ramekins with melted butter so the bread strips will cling, making the charlottes easier to construct. Prepare the bread rounds and insert them into the ramekins in the same way as described in the recipe. Instead of lining the sides with long strips of bread, cut the bread into 3 strips per slice, as in the recipe, but then cut each of these strips crosswise in half. Brush the rectangles (they’re almost squares) with butter and arrange them vertically along the sides of the ramekins, overlapping them so about one-third of the strip underneath is covered. You’ll need about 6 rectangles per ramekin. Each of the rectangles should touch the bread round on the bottom and reach about ¼ inch [.5 cm] over the top of the ramekin. Fill with the apple mixture, bake, and serve in the same way described in the recipe.