The Freshman Cook: Oh, so good…..Apple Pumpkin Brown Betty!

I have heard of the Brown Betty for years now, but this is the first time I have ever made one. It is so simple, and good, I can’t believe I waited this long. I was curious about the origin of this fabulous dessert, and I did a little reading. Did you know that the brown betty has been around since colonial times, and is one of the oldest known desserts? It was basically designed around the fact that bread gets stale, but you don’t throw it away, and voila!….. the brown betty was born! I am thinking it was born into a nice family too, because the recipe is a mix between a cobbler and bread pudding. Sounds like they may be cousins! Whatever it’s heritage, this Apple Pumpkin Brown Betty is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving meal.
Apple Pumpkin Brown Betty
(adapted from Food Network magazine) 1   2-3 pound Sugar Pumpkin 3 tablespoons Butter 1 cup cubed Bread 2 Gala Apples 1/4 cup light brown Sugar 1/4 cup Golden Raisins 1 teaspoon Vanilla 1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon pinch of Salt Maple Syrup (for drizzle) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Slice the top off of your pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and the stringy pulp. Peel and cut your 2 apples into 1/2″ pieces. Set aside.
Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in your skillet. Add the bread cubes, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes and until golden in color. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan, along with the apples, brown sugar, and raisins to your pan. Cook about 4 minutes. The apples should be crisp tender. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add the bread back in, and mix together. Put your pumpkin in a small baking dish. Fill the pumpkin with the apple mixture. Add approximately 1″ of water to the dish. Cover the pumpkin with the pumpkin top, and cover the top, loosely, with foil. Bake until tender, about 1 hr, 30 minutes to 2 hours. Then remove the foil, and let the top brown by baking it for approx. 10 more minutes. Transfer to your serving plate, and drizzle with maple syrup. To serve, scrape the pumpkin flesh and stir into the apple mixture.  Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!