No. 1566 — Dark Bread Charlotte with Cherries or Apples
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 1566 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Mix one glass crushed rye rusks with three glasses grated stale black bread.
Heat a quarter pound butter in a pan, add bread and fry. Stir in half a teaspoon cinnamon, three crushed cloves, zest of half a lemon, a spoonful chopped candied orange peel and half a glass sugar.
Boil three quarters of a glass water with another half glass sugar; add a pound of pitted cherries and cook. The source also calls for two or three crushed cherry stones in the syrup.
Alternatively use one and a half pounds peeled, cored, sliced raw apples stewed in butter. Wine diluted with water or a little rum can replace some water.
Butter a charlotte mould and sprinkle sides with sugar. Place a buttered paper disc on the bottom and arrange alternating layers of bread and cherries or apples, finishing with bread.
Dot with butter, sprinkle with rusks, press down with a plate and bake for about a quarter hour.
Turn out or serve in the pan, offering sugar and cream separately. The sides may be lined with butter-dipped thin slices of fine black bread as in No. 1569.
To provide
1 glass crushed rusks 3 glasses stale grated black bread ¼ Russian pound butter ½ teaspoon cinnamon and 3 cloves Zest of ½ lemon | 1 spoonful candied orange peel 1 glass sugar, about ½ pound 1½ pounds apples 1 pound cherries Optional ¼–¾ glass wine |