Apple Brown Betty
An incredibly easy fall dessert recipe that transforms day old bread into a lightly sweet and spiced treat. Simple enough for every day but tasty enough for a Holiday table.
Yield: 1 (8x8) pan (Double the recipe to fill a 9x13 pan.)
Yield: 1 (8x8) pan (Double the recipe to fill a 9x13 pan.)
Servings: 6 - 8 people
Ingredients
- 8 c bread slices torn (challah or brioche for a lighter dessert, whole wheat bread for a heartier dish)
- 1 lb Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 lb Golden Delicious or Cortland apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 orange, juiced (roughly ¼ c)
- ½ c brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ c water
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, cut into slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.
- Crumble the bread by hand into coarse crumbs and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, toss the peeled and diced apples with the orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Place about ⅓ of the bread crumbs mixture in the baking dish, sprinkle with half of the apple mixture. Repeat with another layer of bread crumbs and then apples, finishing off with a layer of the bread crumbs.
- Sprinkle ½ cup of water over the dish.
- Dot the top with thin slices of butter.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the apples are tender. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.
- Serve warm with ice cream or fresh whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
To Make Ahead: Make the Brown Betty as directed and bake for the initial 45 minutes, covered. Remove the dish from the oven, uncover, and let cool. Refrigerate the dessert overnight.
Remove the dessert from the refrigerator 2 hours before you will be serving it, for it to come to room temperature. If desired, warm the dessert before serving by baking at 375⁰F, covered for 10 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes.