Apple-Pear Brown Betty Recipe

When you have leftover bread, cake or pastries and some fresh fruit, this is an easy dessert that is made in minutes. This recipe is just an outline, as you can be creative depending on what you find in your refrigerator.

 

Apple-Pear Brown Betty

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 ounces leftover bread, pastry, croissant, Danish, whatever you have on hand, cut or torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• ½ to ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves or applesauce
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup orange or apple juice
• 1 ripe pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Sour cream, for serving

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter a 6-cup gratin dish or other shallow ovenproof dish. In a medium bowl, combine the bread or pastries, cinnamon, raisins, sugar, preserves, butter and juice. Add the pear and the apple and stir well to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the bread to soften.

Spread the mixture in the prepared gratin dish and bake until the apple and pear are cooked through and the top is golden, about 45 minutes. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. To serve, spoon into dishes and top with a dollop of sour cream.

​Reprinted with permission from Jacques Pépin Cooking My Way: Recipes and Techniques for Economical Cooking by Jacques Pépin, photographs by Tom Hopkins, Harvest Books, 2023.

 

Cook With Jacques

Pépin shared two more recipes from Cooking My Way for AARP members to try:

Cauliflower and Crumbs

Cook the cauliflower ahead of time and add in homemade breadcrumbs for a tasty crunch.

Herb-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

This can be served cold or hot, and you can sharpen the flavor by garnishing with fresh herbs just before serving.

Read about Jacques Pépin’s cookbook, Cooking My Way.