Applesauce caramel mold (Pommes Normande en belle vue)

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, swirling, until it caramelizes to a caramel brown.

Line the six-cup Charlotte mold completely with the caramel; reheat it if it seizes, then turn the mold over onto a plate.

Peel and core the apples and slice about one eighth inch thick; toss the first batch with lemon juice so they do not brown.

Cook the apples covered in a Dutch oven over very low heat, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes until tender.

Add the sugar, cinnamon and grated lemon zest.

Turn up the heat and boil 5 minutes, breaking up large pieces, until a thick puree that holds its shape in a spoon.

Off the heat stir in the cognac, then the butter; let melt and cool a little.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the egg white, without letting them cook.

Turn the apple mixture into the caramelized mold.

Set the mold in a saucepan or kettle deep enough to hold it and pour boiling water around it up to the level of the apple mixture.

Bake in the lower third of an oven preheated to 400F, regulating the heat so the water stays almost at a simmer, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it shrinks from the sides and all but a small area in the centre is set.

Serve warm after about 20 minutes, or cover and chill 4 to 5 hours to serve cold.

Whip the cream; add a touch of powdered sugar and a splash of cognac.

Run a knife around the edge of the mold and unmold onto a plate.

Julia's final step, abandoned here: simmer rum or brandy in the mold to dissolve the remaining caramel and strain it over the dessert.