Preparation

1. Peel the apples, remove the core and cut the flesh into pieces. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cook over medium heat in a covered saucepan with 7.5 cl of water and the caster sugar, until the pieces are tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the apples sticking to the bottom and to break them up. Leave to cool completely.

2. Prepare the caramel:
   
   Melt the butter with the vergeoise sugar and crème fraîche in a saucepan over low heat. Stir and boil for 2 minutes. The caramel should thicken slightly. Add the fleur de sel and leave to cool.

3. Make the custard:
   
   Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and vanilla pod until simmering. Remove the vanilla pod and add the cream to the egg-sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and reduce, stirring until it coats a wooden spoon. Strain and set aside in the fridge.

4. Divide the sponge cake or pound cake between 4 glasses. Moisten with apple juice or alcohol. Top with a layer of baked apples, a spoonful of caramel sauce, crème anglaise and caramel sauce. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Tip: Vary the pleasures by replacing the apples with pears cooked in a full-bodied red wine and crème de cassis.