Roasted Apples with Spiced Bread Crumbs
Roasted spiced apples are appealing on their own, but topped with crisp, buttered bread crumbs, they are positively irresistible. To make the bread crumbs, choose a simple coarse bread with a firm texture, such as a rustic Italian or French bread. Let the bread sit out overnight, or dry the slices in a low oven, then remove the crust. Chop the bread coarsely, and use a food processor to reduce the pieces to coarse crumbs.
Ingredients
- 8 Tbs. (1 stick) (4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing
- 3 cups (6 oz./185 g) coarse fresh bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz./105 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 firm, tart apples, peeled, halved, cored and very thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 lb./750 g)
- Heavy cream, at room temperature, for serving (optional)
Directions
Place an oven rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23-cm) baking pan.
Spread the bread crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and toasted bread crumbs. Add the apple slices and toss to coat. Place a third of the apple mixture in the prepared baking dish and dot with a third of the butter. Repeat twice, finishing with the butter.
Roast until the apples are tender when pierced with a knife and the bread crumbs are golden brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Serve immediately with a drizzle of cream, if desired. Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Year Round Roasting (Weldon Owen 2014)