A delicious makeover for softening fruit and stale bread. Replace the ginger cream with ice cream if you are short on time (or cashews).
Brown Betty ingredients:
2T butter, plus more for greasing the pan
6 - 8 slices stale bread
4 past-their-prime apples or pears or any mixture of fruit, chopped - about 3 cups' worth
1/3 cup cider
2 T maple syrup
1 t cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 T maple or brown sugar
Ginger Cashew Cream Ingredients:
3/4 cup raw cashews
2 T ginger syrup
some fresh ginger juice, for optional extra kick
The night before you plan to make your Betty, cover the cashews in just-boiled water and leave overnight.
Preheat oven to 375.
Butter an 8" x 8" baking pan.
Put whatever type of stale bread you have on hand into the food processer and whizz into crumbs; you want about 3 cups.
Mix the chopped fruit, cider, maple syrup and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
Pour 1/3 of the bread crumbs into your prepared pan.
Layer half of the fruit mix on top, then another third of the breadcrumbs.
Pour on the rest of the fruit, and add the last of the crumbs.
Dot the top with thin slices of butter, then sprinkle on the sugar and pecans.
Bake, tightly covered, for 45 minutes.
Remove the cover for another 5 minutes to crisp things up.
When you're ready to make the cashew cream, drain and rince the cashews, then tip into your blender.
Add the ginger syrup, ginger juice, if using, and just barely cover with water.
Blend until creamy.
Serve the Betty warm, with plenty of ginger cream.
