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["Filling", "", "1. Melt butter in 6-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add apples & caramelize, add water, cook, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 mins, until apples are soft. Remove cover & add sugar, nutmeg & salt. Increase heat to medium-high & continue to cook, stirring often, until liquid has completely evaporated, about 10 mins. Remove from heat & stir in zest, apple sauce & vanilla. Set aside to cool. (filling can be made 1 day ahead)", "", "Crust & assembly", "1. Position oven rack in lower third of oven & preheat to 425u00b0F. Grease 8 ceramic dishes with 1 T butter. Sprinkle sugar in dish & tilt to coat bottom & sides. Tap out excess & set aside.", "2. Remove crusts from bread. Center bottom of mold over one of bread squares. Cut around mold to form circle to use as top. Make a total of 20 rounds-10 for bottoms & 10 for tops. Dip each one in melted butter & place at bottom of mold.", "3. Cut each of 15 remaining slices of bread into 4 rectangular pieces. Dip one side of each strip in melted butter & arrange strips, upright, around inside of molds, buttered-sides against mold & overlapping by about 1/2"" to completely line mold. Use 6 rectangles to line the mold.", "4. Spoon apple filling into bread-lined molds, mounding slightly in center.", "5. Take remaining ten rounds of bread & dip pieces of bread into melted butter & place on top of filling, buttered-sides up. Press down lightly.", "6. Bake for 30 mins, then cover loosely with alum foil. Bake for 15-20 mins more, until top is deep golden brown & side slices are golden brown (run a thin-bladed knife between bread & pan to check). Remove from oven, uncover, & let rest for 15 mins on wire rack. Run knife around edges of molds to flip mold out onto serving plates.", "7. For sauce, saute 1 c of prepped apples in butter, add a pinch of sugar & cinnamon. Allow to cook until apples are lightly browned & all sugars have dissolved. Remove from heat & add 2 c caramel sauce to the apples & stir to coat."]
