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Serves 8 | Start to finish: 1 hour, 20 minutes
from Edible Seattle July/August 2009
Adapted from Godey’s Lady’s Book of 1863, this is a simple Apple Brown Betty with the famous singer’s name attached. Apparently Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale,” preferred a gussied-up coconut version, but early King County Fair visitors likely would have been more familiar with this home-style dessert—a great way to use the tail end of last year’s storage apples (or hang on ‘til August, when Gravensteins are ripe).
10 slices white sandwich bread, torn or cut into 3” squares
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup melted butter, divided
Five tart apples, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
In the bowl of a food processor, combine bread and sugar. Pulse several times, until the bread is processed into approximately four cups coarse crumbs. Drizzle crumbs with half of the melted butter, and pulse two more times to blend. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375. Butter a two-quart casserole.
Heat a large skillet or sauté pan, over medium-high heat. Add the remaining half of the melted butter, apples, brown sugar, cider vinegar and spices. Cook and stir for about five minutes, until sugar is dissolved and apples are coated with syrup. Remove pan from heat.
Sprinkle one-fourth of the crumbs across the buttered pan. Top with one-third of the apple chunks with their sauce. Repeat layers, ending with a layer of crumbs. Dot generously with butter.
Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove lid and bake for another 30 minutes, until crumbs are toasty brown and apples are bubbling.
Serve warm, with or without whipped cream. It’s also excellent cold the following day, for breakfast.
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