Todd is not overly fond of eating raw apples, but if you cook an apple, he is the first in line wanting to tuck in! He just loves baked apple desserts. I had about half a jar of mincemeat that needed using up in the refrigerator and I also had some apples that had seen better days as well as about 1/3 of a loaf of stale bread. I decided to use all three and make a Betty with them.
Betty's are lovely desserts Composed of sweetened fruit (usually apples, but sometimes pears or berries) along with buttered bread crumbs, they are the epitome of simplicity and thrift.
It is said that Apple Brown Betty was a favorite dessert of the Regans when they were living in the White House in America. In any case they are great desserts and the perfect way to use up a stale loaf and some fruit.
Served warm with some custard, pouring cream, ice cream, lemon sauce or whipped cream, they are a real favorite with families as well. Stirring the leftover mincemeat into the chopped apples made for a lovely change this time. Simple and delicious!
*Apple and Mincemeat Brown Betty*
Serves 4 to 6Printable Recipe Created to use up some apples that were rapidly declining and the rest of a jar of mincemeat leftover from Christmas. It was delicious! Serve warm with cream or ice cream. Yum!
3 cups soft bread cubes (remove crusts)
2 TBS melted butter, plus butter to butter the baking dish.4 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced1/2 of a 411g jar of fruit mincemeat (about 1 cup)120ml of water (1/2 cup)Grated zest of 1 lemon
3 TBS lemon juice
Light cream or vanilla ice cream for serving
Pre-heat oven to 180*C/375*F. Butter a shallow 1 ½ liter baking dish.
Place half the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Mix the remaining cubes with 2 TBS of melted butter and set aside.
Stir together the apples, mincmeat, water, lemon zest and lemon juice. Spread this over the bread cubes in the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining bread cubes over top.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the bread is well browned. If it is browning too quickly, cover lightly with foil. Serve warm or cold with cream or ice cream.
