Apple Brown Betty

This is an American dessert that dates back to Colonial American times. A ‘betty’ is a baked fruit pudding, made with layers of sweetened and spiced fruit and buttered bread crumbs. Similar to a crisp or a crumble, it's one of those desserts that I like to call a "throw-together" dessert and it's so rustic and simple, anyone can make it!


4 c. coarse soft bread crumbs*
6 tbs. butter, melted
4 c. apples - peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. lemon juice


Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a 2-quart casserole. Set aside.
Place bread crumbs in a medium bowl.
Pour melted butter over the crumbs and toss gently until well combined.
In another bowl toss together apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
Layer 1/3 of bread crumbs in prepared casserole, then 1/2 of the apple mixture.
Repeat layers, ending with bread crumbs.
Sprinkle top with a little extra cinnamon.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden.
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

*To make bread crumbs- Take 5 or 6 pieces of regular white sandwich bread, and break them into pieces. Place them in a food processor and pulse it approximately 12 times until it becomes coarse crumbs.

Tips:
If your apples aren't quite as juicy as you'd like, go ahead and add a few tablespoons of water along with the lemon juice.
If you don't have any lemons, try a splash of orange juice instead!
Instead of serving it with ice cream, try a little drizzle of heavy cream over the top, or a big dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
For an even bigger splurge, serve it with a little hot caramel sauce!