Apple Charlotte with Vanilla Custard

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Butter a 1.2 litre pudding basin or charlotte mould, then dust the inside with a little caster sugar.

Butter the bread slices on both sides. Cut enough slices into triangles to line the base and sides of the basin, overlapping them slightly and pressing the joins firmly together.

Put the apples in a wide pan with 50g of the caster sugar, the lemon zest, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not completely collapsed.

Spoon the warm apple filling into the bread-lined basin. Trim the remaining bread to make a lid, press it on firmly and dot the top with a little extra butter.

Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the bread is deep golden and crisp. Leave the charlotte to stand in the basin for 10 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a warm plate.

While it bakes, warm the milk with the vanilla pod and seeds until steaming, then remove from the heat and leave for 5 minutes to infuse.

Whisk the egg yolks, remaining 50g caster sugar and cornflour in a bowl. Pour in the warm milk, whisking constantly, then return the mixture to the pan.

Cook the custard over a low heat, stirring, until it lightly coats the back of a spoon. Remove the vanilla pod and serve the warm custard with slices of apple charlotte.