Were you wondering how many pounds of Rainier Cherries I’ve eaten in the four days I’ve been in Seattle? Well… just about six. Six pounds of cherries.
Were you wondering if you can get a terrible tummyache from too eating too many Ranier Cherries? Well… yes. Yes you can.
Wait… I just realized that this recipe is similiar to the Banana Bourbon Bread Pudding I just made. Yeesh. I’m on a baked bread and fruit and sugar kick. Bear with me.
I love a Brown Betty. They’re so simple. I imagine this is the sort of dessert I’ll make when I’m eighty, shuffling around the hosue wearing housecoats and slippers and lipstick.
This Brown Betty is cubed whole wheat bread, sugar, fruit and butter. You have that stuff on hand, don’t you.
My sister saw me cubing bread for this dessert and swore that it would be a terrible waste of cherries.
I called her a good for nothin’ whipper snapper and went about my business.
Pitting cherries is sort of like murder… without the death.
Layers of sugar, butter, bread and fruit bake up to be a simply sweet dessert that is just nutty enough, thanks to the whole wheat bread, and with just the right amount of moisture and richness, thanks to generous amounts of butter. I love cherries in this recipe, but you might want to try another summer fruit like : ripe peaches, raspberries or apricots. Win.
Oh! I had company while I made this Brown Betty. This is Charles. He doesn’t mind if you call him Chuck. He likes tomato soup and potato chips.
I was ready to shovel this Betty in my mouth even before I put it in the oven…
… but warm from the oven, totally worth the wait. I need ice cream.
Rainier Cherry Brown Betty
makes 8 servings
adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks… that’s Ree… she’s rad
2 cups pitted fresh Rainier Cherries, yes you can also use regular red cherries
7 slices whole wheat bread
3/4 cup salted butter, cold
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Pit and halve enough Rainier cherries to make two heaping cups of cherries. Set aside.
Dice the seven slices of bread into small cubes.
Coat a 9 or 10-inch pie pan with butter. This doesn’t have to be perfect, just make sure the entire pan is well greased.
Add 1/3 of the brown sugar, to the buttered pan. Top with 1/3 of the fresh cherries and 1/3 of the cubes bread. Slice butter and place on top of the bread crumbs. Repeat the layering process two more times, ending with the breadcrumbs and top with the last of the butter. Sprinkle with water.
Cover the pie dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil from the pan and bake for 5 minutes to brown and crisp the bread.
Allow to cool to room temperature and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Swell.
85 Responses
Sure hoping this is forgiving! Not sure what happened to my brain! First I forgot the butter when I layered and had to pull stuff back out which in turn mixed it up a bunch ad added the butter. The I found out for the first time in my life my foil was all gone! Not sure how that happens. Have placed another pie pan on top in exchange for the foil and hoping it still turns out.
hey wow far too sweet
Have you ever had a kitten that you named Daisy because you were sure it was a girl, only to find out later you should have named it David? Well, that’s sorta of what happened when I thought one of our fruit trees was a crabapple. Of course I had no idea what a crabapple looked like, for some reason I just took one look and dubbed the poor tree Evelyn. Turns out she’s really a handsome man named Rainier, as in Rainier Cherry.
So glad I found this recipe, I had no idea what to do with the cherries and I feel it’s my duty not to let them rot on the tree this year. I can feel by guilt going away with each bite, thanks!
hmmm….That looks so appealing. and it seems to be quite easy. I ve never seen this before. That means i have to try it quickly. Thank you for the recipe. Next week I let you know if Im convinced. But I think you managed to convince me already…
We, too, are experiencing “cherry-palooza”, so I made this here Brown Betty for dinner guests….it was off the hizzle! There was actually drooling at the table (always a good sign). Thanks, Miss Joy!!! :)
I truly love the image of someone shuffling around the kitchen wearing housecoat, slippers, and lipstick. I can’t wait.
This all looks delicious – I adore your blog.
Cheers,
Anne
This turned out amazing! I even made it with dark red bing cherries instead of Rainier and a cinnammon strussel loaf of bread from the day-old bread shop instead of wheat and it came out beautifully! A total HIT with the family I usually don’t like spending time with!
I tried this recipe over the weekend, but it was way too sweet for my taste. I ended up halving the sugar, reducing the bread by a slice, and cutting the butter down to 1 stick. (I also added extra cherries.) The sugar-butter ratio was much better, but I still had trouble tasting the fruit. I think I would like to try it with a bolder flavored fruit like raspberries or maybe peaches, and a denser bread than the cheapy generic wheat bread I used. Also, I wasn’t sure when to add the cinnamon, so I just sprinkled some over each layer of bread.
But what a creative idea, Joy! Thanks for sharing! And enjoy Seattle!
Beautiful kitteh! Love his coloring, and how sweet is he looking up at you.
Go get some Molly Moons ice cream while you’re out here. Or Fainting Goat. Or Full Tilt. Jeez, so many options.
I love your new blog design!! But mostly I just love your blog.
Also rainier cherries are beautiful and worth the tummyache.
I would *never* use Rainier cherries to bake! They’re ridiculously expensive down here (SoFla), like $6.99 a pound expensive. Plus, they taste so good plain that I can’t imagine diluting their taste with, well, anything. I have to restrain myself at the store when they go on sale. For the last 2 weeks, they were 2 for 1. I almost bought 4 pounds in one shot, but I made myself put them back.
ooooohhh… totally not a waste of cherries. your sista is c-r-a-z-y :)
i love the new design of the blog! love it love it! and this brown betty as well! it’s so simple! perfect for my summer lazyness!
I would never have thought about using brown bread for something like this. I’m sure it does add a nice nutty flavor. I just bought a bag of Ranier cherries at the market and they cost an absolute fortune. But, they taste so good!
This looks delicious. If only I could get cherries here in Israel…. I will try it with peaches – yummmm!
Hi Joy
I’m a brazilian fan of your recipes and I love the new site design, and I really love your photos.
Beijos
Pat
Oh wow!! I love Rainier cherries so much.. not sure I can leave enough to bake with! I ate two pounds in about 2 days.. and boy did my stomach not feel so great. But it was totally worth it!
OH. MY. GOD! What a gorgeous cat! Brown Betty who? I’m sorry, I couldn’t take my eyes off of Charles. What’s his breed? Pleeease, I MUST know!
he’s just a rescue kitty. he was a stray.
I tried pitting cherries once. I think I gave up after the third cherry.
This looks really yummy :)
Love the new site design!
I have a boat load of blueberries from the Farmers Market this weekend…think I could use those???? I may try anyway and see how it comes out.
P.S. Huge fan of your blog! Love reading and love trying the recipes even more. XOXO
You made a new blog design! Cool! I think you’ve made your blog look more like… a regular website? Uhm… It’s fresh, although I feel like it’s missing the depth it once had. Hard to explain, it looks more advertisey. I do ADORE your photos though, mostly because I’ve never seen a web-page where I’ve baked 90% of what’s shown in the pictures. Tehehe.
I like the new design, but I miss the little mini-index of recipes on the left – like “pies don’t lie.” but overall I like it! and yum. bread pudding.
Love the new design, But bread pudding is something I simply don’t like!
Joy, I love your writing! Keep it coming!
It looks delicious, and hey! I love the new aspect of your site!
So cute your new design! I love the photo you used for “Off the Record”, beautiful! Keep the great work up Joy, you rock!
I don’t think I ever actually knew what a brown betty was until I saw PW’s recipe. Haven’t had one yet, but am tempted to try…
By the way, love the remodel around here! Lookin’ good, Joy. :)
I say keep the “kick” going, because this is one fabulous brown better! and using the whole wheat bread just makes it feel more justifiable right? Beautiful!
So, when does that tsp of cinnamon come in? Did I miss it?
This looks so lovely – I’ve had PW’s apple version on my to-try list for a while and this is the perfect idea for that whole mess of cherries from the farmer’s market.
ooh crap! sprinkle the cinnamon on top of the whole thing before it goes in the oven.
thanks!
When I was five or six I went cherry picking with my mother. I ate my weight in cherries. I came home, fingers and mouth stained, belly full, and got very, very sick. For four days I was very, very sick. When I was well enough to eat real food again, my mother asked me what I wanted. I asked for cherries. My mother flipped. I cajoled and begged and whined, and she finally gave in. I reached my hand into the bags and pulled out a huge handful, and then reached for another. My mother wisely took them all away from me, and put a small handful into a bowl, and that’s all I was allowed to have. Every day I got another small bowl. My first lesson in moderation. Too bad it doesn’t work for ice cream or bacon… In my cherry news: Ive made three batches of cherry sorbet. I love my ice cream maker!!!!
joy,
you need to go to chefs.com and get the cherry stoner machine. it makes it so much faster than the one you used in the picture. i had that then got the machine by Liefheit and it has make me love cherries more than i thought possible since it is my favorite fruit.
This looks amazing; I just bought a bag of fresh cherries at the market and I am going to make this tonight! Thank you; have a great weekend.
Ha, I’ve never heard of a Brown Betty before?! Sounds like a cross of a Bread and Butter pudding and a crumble. Intriguing! Any idea where that name originates from? You must have a cool story about that!
Yum! I am on such a cherry kick right now. I love this! I’m thinking I’ll make it in cute little ramekins to fancy it up.
I live in Seattle and we’ve had great deals on Rainier cherries lately. $1.99 a pound at Safeway! I’m addicted. This looks tasty, but I must say I’m with your sister. Rainier cherries are so sweet, flavorful, and delicious on their own, I wouldn’t dare mess them up with sugar and extras.
i’m awaiting the day that you post soemthing i DON’T want to run out and make. i fear it never will happen. although i don’t really fear that at all. :)
Oh man, I need a cherry pitter right now. And a bushel of Rainier cherries. Please God?
Murder, without the death… Ha! Joy, this is why I love reading your blog. You rock.
I had to pit cherries on my first day of work…. I spent over two hours pitting sour cherries. My fingers were red for a week!!! Not fun, not fun at all.
YUM!! Rainier cherries really are the best. I just got home last night actually from a trip to Washington. I may have eaten 10 pounds by myself of those things! But when you can get them for less than $2 a pound…it’s the only logical choice to eat until you explode!
I always admire anyone that takes the time to actually pit cherries and bake with them. I freaking LOVE brown betties (bettys?). You rule.
Awe!! Chuck!! My first cat was named Charlie, but I called him Chuck too! Please say hello to Seattle for me!! Wish I was there haveing a cup of joe right now and of course eating the brown betty too. :o)
so did your sister like it?? looks fabulous :)
Nope. Awkward.
I LOVE cherries! I have at least one gorge-fest a year when they are in season. The cherry brown betty looks delish!
Your stereotypes are showing! I am 80+, but I don’t own a housecoat and I don’t shuffle. BUT if that’s what you expect to be doing if you are fortunate enough to reach age 80, then most likely you WILL be. I want no part of it. My old age is rich and full and at times exciting. With a little attitude adjustment, yours might be, too.
Eighty is sooooo the new sixty.
I make a brown betty with apple and butternut squash sliced nice and thin. I heart a betty of any sort.
I hope you’re having fun in Seattle! I live right in your sister’s neck of the woods…very close to Top Pot. :) It looks like you’ve already been to Cake Spy Shop…make sure you check out the new Melrose Market – Sitka & Spruce, awesome Butcher Rain Shadow Meats, Homegown (sustainable sandwich shop) and Calf & Kid cheese shop. Love!
this looks fantastic, never heard about brown betty before but it kind of looks like a crumble.
im going to fly to alaska tomorrow night and I’m happy that I found your blog right in time to cook with all the american ingredients and measures.
I’m from germany by the way.
Uh and I LOVE your food photography. Thats the most fun following your blog .
Greets
Felicity
I’ve never really heard of Betties before, but this looks diviiiiiine. Awesomeness.
Wei-Wei
“Pitting cherries is sort of like murder…without the death.” You rock. Best quote of the week. Hope Seattle’s still treating you right. Have you been to Lunchbox Labratory yet?! Go.
Can I have that cat, please? :) He’s lovely and he takes care very well of you. Is he yours, isn’t he? I miss my Quinoa (she couldn’t fly with us here in Ireland)!!! cheers Martina
Joy! Joy!
How cute are you!
And hello there CHUCK!
I’ve been nibblin’ on the Rainier cherries all week!
Looks like a fabulous recipe!
And I agree…where’s the icecream? ;o)
BLowing you kisses to Seattle from Bainbridge Island!
xo
I’m pretty sure when the timer on the oven goes off, the pan will be empty! I’m one of THOSE :)
‘Love Chuck’s ‘stache!
Well, it’s winter in Argentina, so we only have oranges, lemons, etc. But I could use some apples, right?
And by the way, does any of you have a New York’s style Pretzel recipe? I was there a month ago and all I ate was soft pretzels. Pleaseee, pretty please if someone has a good one, give me a call ;)
Thanks!
there is one at dinnerwithjulie.com, super yummy well worth the time
Yum! Making for dessert tonight, my hubby will love you! PS: I heart Charles’ moustaches
*love*
I’m so glad Brown Bettys are making a come back! I’ve been waitin (ever so patiently) for apple season to come so I could make one, but now I can make one with cherries! Genius!
I always buy the darker Bing cherries because I think the darker the fruit, the better it is for you. So I skip the Raineiers normally. Can you describe their flavor in comparison to Bings? I just might have to try them before their season runs out!
Ditto to Samantha, rainier cherries in DC go for about $8 a pound (as if we’re all money-grubbing senators, or something) Guess I’ll just have to use regular sweet and/or sour cherries for this one.
Brown Betty is an awesome name, I didn’t know that. Looks really tasty – I think I’d love it with apricots. But rasberries would be even better. Gosh, this would be good with anything.
I had rainier cherries for the first time this summer and they were delicious but ridiculously expensive! May take up your suggestion and try this with peaches yum!
So did you convert your sister to the cooked cherry persuasion?
Oh yes the too many cherry tummy aches are not fun. But of course they’re completely worth it. Because those cherries are just way too delicious. This brown betty looks lovely – might just need to give it a try today with some rather ripe apricots that are laying around.
I’ve never tasted a brown betty! It sure does look good though.
I would have tended to agree with your sister. I always feel that cherries are best eaten by the pound, or six as the case may be. I’ll have to take your word that this is worth using 2 c. of rainier cherries (which cost their weight in gold in my neck of the woods, Southern Ontario)
Mmm, delish. I want to try experimenting with bread cubes. As in banana bread cubes. With a little less sugar. Is that insane? Would that work?
Oooh! I made something really similar last night only I used peaches and cherries! I’m looking forward to trying your topping with the brown bread- I’ve never seen that before!
I simply can’t wait until I have an oven again. Although, I’m supposed to bring a dessert to a party on Sunday. It’s cherry season here in Vienna, and the host has an oven. I think yes.
I would be ready to eat it before the over too. Especially with the butter.
Chuck is so handsome!
Well, one can never have enough cherries and yes, one can get a tummyache from eating too many, I should know… lovely pudding!
I’ve decided to name my next dog Brown Betty :)
Mmmm ranier cherries! This looks delicious! I love all your blog posts, but as a Seattlite living abroad I must say I am particularly partial to the posts that include Seattle! They always make me homesick (in the best way!) for the pacific northwest! :)