Last week my daughter Gillian, her husband Jesse and their three kids made their annual autumn orchard visit and then baked a spectacular Pear Brown Betty with some of the pickings.
When I read the post on her blog it brought forth a rush of memories. This is a dish I cooked when I was a young mother and my daughters were still living at home. Except I always made it with apples. Everyone in the family loved it.
It was a dish my mother made. Everyone in our family loved it.
Brown Betty. So simple. The fragrance, the warmth in the kitchen, the memories of my girls waiting patiently for a bite of dessert while they watched Mr. Rogers. Of my Dad humming with every forkful.
This is more than dessert. It’s a feeling of security. That all is well.
Try it, you’ll see.
Apple Brown Betty
5-6 apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups diced homestyle bread
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the apples and remove the cores. Cut the apples into bite sized pieces. Squeeze the lemon juice over the apples. Place the apples in a baking dish. Combine the bread dice, brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Toss the ingredients to coat the bread completely. Put the coated bread on top of the apples. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crusty. Let cool slightly, but serve warm, preferably topped with vanilla ice cream. Makes 6 servings
*Note here: my husband likes this COLD, doused with sweet cream