Once the calendar hits October, there is no longer any denying the fact that fall is upon us. While temperatures are still warm (and warmer than when we were kids) in the mid-Atlantic region, the nights and mornings don’t lie. Soon, it’ll be time to ditch the summer gear and head out to football and soccer games all bundled up in sweats and coats. The pumpkin spice set have already fully embraced the inevitable for a few weeks. So, now I, too, must embrace the changing of the seasons. I do so with glee because we are only 1 week out from the beginning of the most important season - the return of NHL games!
But, back to the cooking. Today is National Apple Betty Day. Apple Betty, or Apple Brown Betty, or Brown Betty, are all the same thing: a simple fall dessert that celebrates the most ubiquitous fruit of the fall season, apples! So, when you don your Insta-cute fall flannel, jeans, knit socks, boots and snazzy hat over the next few weekends, as you head off to a day of wineries and apple picking, be sure to snag 4 lbs of Granny Smith apples, which are hitting their peak as I write this. What makes this dessert different from say apple crumble is there isn’t a crumbly, streusel-like, or thick crusted topping. Rather the crumbles are interspersed throughout the entire dessert giving this dessert a little more structure.
I found this recipe 10 years ago from Michael Symon in Food & Wine and I’ve made this recipe every year since, typically around Thanksgiving. Being that I’ve made it a little early this year, I may just have to make it twice! One of my favorite parts of this recipe is the aroma from the fruited sugar after you mix it together with the cinnamon and nutmeg. It always reminds me of those gummy coke bottles I had as a child. It’s intoxicating. I tried something new this year. As I was shopping and picked out the normal vanilla ice cream accoutrement. I had a taste for something else. Thinking back to when I was a child and would have pecan sandies, I wondered if Butter Pecan ice cream would pair well. I am here to tell you: it was extremely delicious and is my new go-to pairing.
Apple Brown Betty from Food&Wine, Michael Symon
Challah bread (or brioche)
1.5 cups sugar
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp lemon zest (typically 2 lemons)
1 tsp orange zest (typically 1 orange)
1/2 cup apple cider
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
4 lbs Granny Smith apples
4 tbsp cold butter
Butter Pecan ice cream (quality vanilla or whipped cream work well, too)
Cube about 2/3 of the Challah until you have 6 cups of cubed bread. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven, at 350, for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, thoroughly combine the sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and fruit zest with a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Reserve.
In another bowl, mix the apple cider and fruit juices. Reserve.
Once the bread has cooled, place it in a food processor and pulse into coarse crumbs. Butter a 13x9 casserole and spread 1/3 of the crumbs on the bottom of the buttered dish.
Peel half of the apples, core and slice them thinly. Scatter the apple slices on top of the breadcrumbs in the bottom of the prepared casserole. Sprinkle half of the sugar on top of the apples. Pour all of the juice over the apples and top with another third of the breadcrumbs.
Peel, core and slice the remaining apples. Spread them on top, cover with the remaining sugar, followed by the last of the breadcrumbs. Thinly slice the butter and scatter on top of the breadcrumbs.
Bake in the oven, at 350 degrees, for one hour. Let the Brown Betty cool for 30 minutes prior to serving. You can completely cool the Brown Betty, cover and place in the fridge overnight and reheat the next day when ready to serve.
To serve, spoon out some Brown Betty into a bowl and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
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Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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