Peach Brown Betty

This was the second dish I prepared for Stephen to photograph. It was taken from the Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers cookbook. I found it the best Betty recipe I've made yet, with a lovely balance of flavors and saucier than my previous Betty recipe post. My only modification was to add one cup of blueberries. A grateful group of friends helped me eat it with vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream.

Serves 6-8

4 cups sliced peaches
4 tbsp butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk or cream
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 loaf, or about 8 ounces, crusty bread, cut in 1/2-inch cubes (slightly stale Italian, French, cinnamon or challah are good choices)
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a two-quart baking dish (e.g. 11x7 pan). In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add peaches and cook, stirring, until peaches are hot and beginning to give off juice. Remove from heat.

Beat egg in a large bowl, and then mix in milk, vanilla, cinnamon and half of the brown sugar. Add the bread cubes and mix well. Stir in peaches with their juice and melted butter. Gently fold in blueberries. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.