The Homemade Apple Brown Betty Recipe A “betty” is a baked fruit dessert topped with buttered bread crumbs. This dessert was made popular during the Colonial era.
Special equipment:
1 quart (1.2 liter) baking dish
Ingredients:
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 3⁄4 cups (6oz) fresh bread crumbs
2lb (900g) apples, such as Bramley, Granny
Smith, or Golden Delicious (about 4 apples)
3⁄4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the bread crumbs, and mix well.
2 Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut each quarter into slices and place in a bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla extract, and mix well.
3 Put half the apple mixture into the baking dish. Cover with half the bread crumbs, then put in the rest of the apples and top with the remaining bread crumbs.
4 Bake for 35–45 minutes, checking after 35 minutes. If it is getting too brown, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C) and cover with parchment paper.
5 It is cooked when the crumbs are golden brown and the apples are soft. Serve warm.
BAKER’S TIP:
A betty is simplicity itself to make. The recipe lends itself very well to all sorts of different fruits, though orchard fruits suit it best. And try changing the spices to suit your palate. Be creative: try lemon thyme with pears, or star anise or cardamom with plums.
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| Homemade Apple Brown Betty |
