Supposedly dating back to Colonial America, this old-fashioned dessert passes the test of time. For a modern spin, try it with a cool glass of rice or hemp milk, and watch for the smiles.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 servings

　　

Apple Filling

6 Granny Smith, Crispin, Golden Delicious, or other firm baking apples

　　1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix (page 19)

　　1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/8 teaspoon salt

　　

Crumb

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　Pinch of salt

　　5 slices gluten-free bread (4 ounces), roughly torn (I use Ener-G Seattle Brown Loaf for this; see Resources, page 177)

　　2 tablespoons dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch baking dish liberally with vegetable shortening.

　　

Step 2

To make the filling, peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss with the flour mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large microwave-safe bowl.

　　

Step 3

Cook the apples in the microwave on high for 6 minutes, stopping to toss gently after 3 minutes, until the syrup is thick and glossy. Remove from the microwave and set aside.

　　

Step 4

To make the crumb, combine the light brown sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine.

　　

Step 5

Add the bread and pulse until you have a rough crumb (about 20 pulses).

　　

Step 6

Spread half of the bread crumb mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with the filling, then with the remaining half of the bread crumb mixture. Dot the top with the shortening.

　　

Step 7

Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, rotating the pan halfway through. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store, covered, at room temperature.

　　

tip

Step 8

Precooking the apples in the microwave is a tip I learned from one of my favorite magazines, Cook’s Illustrated. What this does is convert the pectin within the apple cells into a more heat-stable form, so you can cook the apples longer without winding up with a soggy mess. In this particular recipe, this provides the extra cooking time the apples need, without causing you to burn the crumb topping. The finished product makes for a betty with a baked, not-too-mushy, not-too-soupy apple filling and a crispy, crunchy crust.

　　Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook