Rhubarb and Apple Brown Betty

In my hunt for new rhubarb recipes, my Aunt Pearl has generously shared her delicious Rhubarb and Apple Brown Betty recipe with me. This is a great recipe to make in that small window when the rhubarb is ripe but strawberries aren't quite ready to pick yet - although once they are, they make a great addition to this recipe. 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 2 tbsp metled butter
• 4 cups of crushed shortbread cookies (we both used two packs of the Scottish shortbread cookies from Dollarama)  - about 1/3 for bottom and 2/3 for top
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 6 cups of rhubarb, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups apples, peeled, cored and diced (granny smith apples are best for this)
• 2 tbsp brandy

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F and generously butter a 9 by 13 dish (I used a deep pie dish instead). Mix the sugar, cinnamon, rhubarb, apples, and vanilla in a large bowl. Toss to combine, and stir in the brandy. Let this sit for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine 1/3 of the crushed shortbread and 2 tbsp of butter, place in dish, and spread out evenly. Bake until crust is golden. Remove from oven and cool. Add rhubarb mixture and all of its juice to the dish, and top with the remaining crushed shortbread cookies. Cover with foil and bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the top in lightly brown. Test the fruit with a sharp knife to make sure it's cooked through. Serve warm. (I recommend topping with vanilla ice cream). 

Enjoy!