Apple Brown Betty Families Will Enjoy This Culinary Treat From The Nation’s Early Years

Apple Brown Betty is one of the oldest dishes in American culinary history, dating back to colonial times. Made with buttered bread crumbs, spices, sweet apples and a generous splash of sherry, this rustic dessert is sure to please modern tastes as well.

Apple Brown Betty

Recipe from the Washington Apple Commission.

4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

4 sweet apples, such as Fuji or Golden Delicious, cored and thinly sliced

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons dry sherry, optional

Whipped cream for serving, optional

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly butter a 2-quart casserole or baking dish. Stir together bread crumbs and butter; set aside. Combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, ginger and cinnamon, mixing until well blended.

To assemble, spread 1 cup of the buttered bread crumbs in bottom of casserole; top with 1/3 of apple mixture. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sherry over apple, if using. Spread another cup of bread crumbs and top with half of remaining apples and another tablespoon of sherry. Make a third layer of bread crumbs and top with remaining apples and sherry. Spread remaining bread crumbs on top of apples.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 30 minutes longer. Cool until warm and serve with whipped cream, if using.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 498 calories, 9 grams protein, 73 grams carbohydrate, 19 grams fat (34 percent fat calories), 4 grams fiber, 626 milligrams sodium, 45 milligrams cholesterol.