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4 from 4 votes

Apple Brown Betty

A 19th-century "waste-not, want not" dessert.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (about 8 slices) sandwich bread, torn into large pieces
  • 1/2 cup (113g) butter
  • 6 (about 2 1/2 pounds) baking apples ('Gala,' etc.), peeled, cored and cut into 1/8-inch slices
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (use more or less to taste)
  • 1/3 cup (67g) light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

  • Center the oven rack and preheat the oven to 375°F. In a food processor, pulse bread until it forms light, fluffy crumbs. Spread the crumbs out on a baking sheet, and bake them until they turn lightly golden -- 8-10 minutes.
  • Transfer the bread crumbs to a medium-size bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add the melted butter to the bread crumbs, and toss to coat.
  • Put the apple slices in a large bowl, and toss with the maple syrup. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and half of the bread crumbs. Tip the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Top with the remaining bread crumbs. Cover the dish tightly.
  • Bake until the mixture is bubbling -- about 40 minutes. Then remove the cover, and continue baking until the bread crumbs have browned and the apples are perfectly tender -- about 10 minutes more. Let cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, crème fraiche, or sour cream.