apple brown betty: 1, 2, 3, ready!

If you like apples, cinnamon and bread, then you will like all of these things combined to form one fabulously simple and delicious dessert. A couple of weeks ago I was making dinner for my family, but being so busy with the last-minute preparations, I didn’t even have time to make dessert before hand. I looked in the fridge. Apples. I looked on the counter. Bread. Cinnamon. In the pantry; brown sugar. Toast, mix, bake. Done. Serve with some ice cream and of course make them wait with anticipation while I take photos. I swear they almost threw a chair at me because I wouldn’t let them eat it before I was done. Oh but it was so worth the wait. Just make it and let it bake while you're having dinner. Perfect for an outdoor dinner on a lazy summer day! Now go make it!

Apple Brown Betty

Adapted from Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast by Martha Stewart

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

4 to 5 slices white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces

½ stick unsalted butter, melted

5 to 6 slightly tart apples (like Gala or Granny Smith or any other you prefer), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg (I omitted this)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350^oF. In food processor, pulse bread into coarse crumbs and spread onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden, tossing occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. Mix and toss with melted butter until evenly coated and set aside.

Place apples in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and half the bread crumbs. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart (8-cup) baking dish and sprinkle with other half of bread crumbs. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake about 40 minutes until mixture is bubbling. Remove foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes until crumbs are brown and apples are tender. Cool about 15 minutes and serve with ice cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. Voila, super easy dessert!