Brown Betty is a traditional American dessert made from fruit and sweetened breadcrumbs. It most commonly uses apples but can also be made with pears or berries. The name is thought to refer to the original inventor of the dish, a woman named Betty who was dark skinned and quite possibly a slave. Most likely she created the recipe as a way to use old bread. Unlike apple pies, no crust is used, making this dish more like an apple bread pudding. One of the first references to a brown Betty recipe was in Miss Leslie’s Complete Cookery by Eliza Leslie in 1849. Today, the dessert remains well-known throughout the United States, with October 5 recognized as National Apple Betty Day.
Recipe Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray, as needed to grease pan
- 4 slices white bread
- 3–4 medium-size apples
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup half and half
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 1½-quart casserole dish using nonstick cooking spray.
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
- Toast the bread in a toaster and then tear it into bite-size pieces.
- Place the pieces of toast into the bottom of the prepared dish.
- Place the apple slices on top of the toast.
- Stir together sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in small bowl.
- Sprinkle the mixture over apples and then drizzle the melted butter over the top.
- Bake for 60 minutes, stirring after 30 minutes.
- Remove the Apple Brown Betty from the oven and divide it into four serving bowls.
- Pour some half and half into each dish and serve warm.
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