Fruit and Nut Charlotte with Warm Caramel Sauce

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What soy sauce can do to a dessert is nothing short of remarkable. The toasty, nutty, caramelized flavors of Kikkoman Soy Sauce marry perfectly with the nuts, dried fruit, and buttery toasted bread in this dish. Chef Selz's soy-enhanced caramel sauce goes with all kinds of other desserts too—especially those made with coffee, ginger, or vanilla.

Ingredients	Amount
Butter	2 cups
White bread	72 (sliced)
Eggs	12
Granulated sugar	1 ½ cup
Whole milk	3 quarts
Kikkoman Soy Sauce	⅓ cup
Vanilla extract	1 Tbsp.
Ground cinnamon	1 ½ tsp.
Dried cranberries	1 ½ cups
Raisins	1 ½ cups
Dates, pitted & cut	1 ½ cups
Walnuts, toasted & chopped	1 ½ cups
Caramel Sauce
Granulated sugar	3 cups
Water	1 ½ cups
Kikkoman Soy Sauce	⅓ cup
Lemon juice, strained	1 cup
Vanilla extract	1 Tbsp.
Butter	1 ½ cups

Method

Fruit & Nut Charlotte

1. Butter 24 eight-ounce ramekins, using 8 tablespoons of the butter. In a large sauté pan, melt remaining butter and brown bread until golden on both sides. Cut 48 circles of bread the same diameter as ramekins. Trim crusts from remaining bread and cut into rectangular pieces to fit the sides of the ramekins. Place a bread circle in the bottom of each ramekin and line sides with rectangles of bread.

2. Whisk eggs and sugar together until blended; whisk in milk, soy sauce, vanilla, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, toss together cranberries, raisins, dates, and walnuts. Place ¼ cup fruit mixture in each ramekin; place bread circles on top and press down gently to moisten bread. Let stand at least 10 minutes.

3. Place ramekins in shallow hotel pan; add hot water to come ¾ up sides of ramekins. Cover pan with foil and bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 30 minutes more, or until top slices of bread are browned and custard is set. Cool before unmolding. Top Charlotte with Carmel Sauce and fruit garnish.

Caramel Sauce

1. In a heavy saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it caramelizes to a rich golden brown. Remove from heat and cool for 1 minute; slowly pour in water. Return pan to heat, add soy sauce and lemon juice and simmer until caramel dissolves and sauce is syrupy. Add vanilla and butter; simmer until butter is melted and sauce is smooth. Hold warm or refrigerate until service; reheat over a hot water bath.

Yield: 24 servings

Source: Chef Andrew J. Selz, CEC, for Kikkoman