Apple Charlotte

Letting go of summer can be difficult, but along with the cooler autumn months comes a plethora of fun, seasonal activities–including our personal favorite: Apple picking! Bundle up in your coziest fall gear and hit the orchards to gather some ripe, delicious apples perfect for this gluten-free Apple Charlotte recipe! Far easier than baking a pie, but just as tasty, this scrumptious fall dish will become your go-to for any upcoming holiday get-togethers. Serve it warm and top with some vanilla ice-cream, and your guests won’t even realize this dessert is gluten-free!

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds Honeycrisp or Gala apples, peeled, halved and cored
5 slices (6 ounces) soft whole-grain gluten-free bread, such as Udi's, frozen
1/2 cup (3 ounces) light brown sugar
Zest of 1 lemon and about 1 tablespoon of the juice
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes, plus additional for baking dish
Lightly whipped cream

Directions

Heat the oven to 375° F. Generously butter a shallow 4- to 6-cup baking dish.

Place the apple halves flat side down, slice thinly and transfer to a bowl.

Shave the crusts off the bread and discard. Cut the slices into cubes and reduce to crumbs in a food processor. Add the sugar, lemon zest and butter, and pulse just long enough to form even crumbs.

Cut the lemon in two and squeeze one half over the apples. Mix gently with your hands to separate the slices.

Arrange half the apple slices in the baking dish and cover with one-third of the crumb mixture. Add the remaining apples and top with the remaining crumbs. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the fruit is tender and the topping golden brown and crisp. Serve warm with a dollop of lightly whipped cream.

Jackie Mallorca has more than a dozen cookbooks to her credit. Her latest titles include The Wheat-Free Cook: Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone and Gluten-Free Italian. For more information and recipes, visit her website at GlutenFreeExpert.com.

Nutritional Analysis:
Calories: 260, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 120mg, Fiber: 3g

Nutritional analysis for recipes is created using Food Processor SQL nutrition and fitness software by ESHA. Recipes are analyzed per serving (unless otherwise indicated) for calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Nutrient amounts are approximate due to variations in brands, manufacturer, preparation and ingredient substitutions. When ingredient choices are listed, we use the first one. Nonspecific amounts, for example "to taste," and garnishes are not included.