Deep Brown Apple Betty - family recipe reconstructed.

[agoodwinsmith]

We ate Deep Brown Apple Betty when I was a kid, which was basically a big pile of apple chunks baked under an oatmeal crust.  After moving away from home and wanting to have some, I found a recipe that didn't sound right, but I made it anyway - yuck.  My DBAB does not have a vast disgusting pool of apple juice poured over it.  I gave it up then but recently went looking again.  Apparently, what I want to call an Apple Betty, other people want to call an apple crumble.  And I'm with Captain Vimes when I say, "Arseholes to the lot of them."  So, here's my reconstructed version, with only a tiny tinker.

Deep Brown Apple Betty

Apple Mixture
5 large golden delicious apples
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon powdered cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

Oatey Topping
1/2 cup butter
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup fluffed flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

(1) Sift white sugar, cinnamon, and ginger together.  Use this to sprinkle over the apples as you prepare them.  Peel and core apples, and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and mix well.
(2) In another bowl, mix together flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and then cut in the butter until peas-sized (or you get tired).
(3) Liberally butter a 2.5 litre deep casserole with a lid.  Fill with apple mixture.  Top with oatey mixture.
(4) Baked uncovered in 350F oven for 50 - 60 minutes.  Allow to cool 10 minutes before eating.
(5) Store on counter, covered.

The tiny tinker is the added ginger.  My parents liked to eat this with cream poured over.  I'm all about the crispy oatey topping, so I never thought that was a good idea.  Ice cream underneath when hot can be nice.  Naturally, any apple you would like to eat can be DBABed.

Oh yes - you can remove more sugar, if you like.  I have already drastically cut the amount in the recipe I found on line.  Even my SOGP, who loves everything to be sweeter than a sicky-sweet thing, said the first iteration was too sweet.

Comments

[randombler.livejournal.com]

Exactly Apple Crumble as we have it here - and one of my favourite dishes. With custard. I agree with less sugar in the topping, but try honey instead of sugar on the apples. We have an apple tree in the garden which gives apples that need very little sugar, so a tablespoon of honey does instead. Or brown sugar.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

I know; I may have already given in and started calling it a crisp - but I feel a sense of loss, y'know? And now that I have caved, I'm going to throw canned peaches in the next one. With the juice, I may not need any internal sugar at all.