Butter (for ramekins)
12 sl Bread, white, firm
6 T Butter, unsalted, or more
Sugar
4 lg Apples, baking (Rome or other not-too-tart variety) peeled, cored, quarters cut cross-wise into 1/4-inch,Slices
3 T Molasses
1/2 c Sugar, light brown, firmly

--,Packed

1/2 t Cinnamon
1/4 t Nutmeg, finely grated
3 T Rum, dark
2 T Juice, lemon
1 T Vanilla
5 T Butter, unsalted, chilled --cut into small pieces
1 c Cream, whipping, lightly whipped, sweetened with sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Butter six 8-ounce ramekins or soufflé dishes. (Ramekins are round cup-cake-like porcelain cups <only a bit larger> that are used to bake soufflés, and such.)

Use a cutter to cut slices of bread into 12 rounds that fit into the dishes you've chosen to use. Spread the rounds with softened butter on both sides, and sprinkle 1 side of each round with a little sugar.

Place 1 bread round in each dish, sugared side down. Reserve 6 of the rounds for tops.

Toss your sliced apples with molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, rum, lemon juice, vanilla and pieces of butter until well coated.

Spoon the apple mixture into the ramekins filling them nearly full and spooning some of the juices over the top.

Top each dish with a reserved bread round, sugared side up.

Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and then place the pan on the center rack of the oven. Pour an inch of hot water into the roasting pan around the ramekins.

Bake until the bread tops are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Serve warm in ramekins with whipped cream on the side.