Apple Brown Betty - hot and easy!

Brown Betty is a traditional hot pudding made with fruit and breadcrumbs - lighter than a pastry crumble or pie, it has a delicious spicy crunch, then a lovely lemony/apply mid-layer, and is wonderful with home made vanilla ice cream.     This recipe is especially for young Matthew, who adores making puddings and wanted one with apples... sadly, it doesn't photograph as well as it tastes!   It's very easy to make, and highly suitable for students with stale bread to get rid of....

Apple Brown Betty

1lb/450g cooking apples (you could use rhubarb, gooseberries etc)

4oz/110g brown or white breadcrumbs (preferably stale)

2oz/50g melted butter

6oz/180g soft brown or muscovado sugar

rind and juice of a lemon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

water

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C, and butter a baking dish (big enough for 6).    Peel, core and slice the apples.   Soak the crumbs in the melted butter.  Lastly, mix the sugar with the lemon, spices and vanilla.  

This dish is made of several layers – a third of the breadcrumbs first, followed by half the apples, then half the sugar mixture spooned on top.   When you complete a layer, add a couple of tablespoons of water too.   Finish with a layer of crumbs.  

Cover with foil and cook for about 40 minutes, before removing the foil, raising the oven temperature to 200 deg C and giving the pudding a 10 minute blast to crisp up the crumbs on the top.  Don't let it burn. 

This is delicious with all the usual accompaniments – ice cream, cream or Greek yoghurt.