Full disclosure: the NFL Pro Bowl never really holds my attention. It's, well... the filler game sandwiched between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. It's usually ridiculously high-scoring (aka boring). The weather is too dang nice. But, for the scores of football fans who are not anxiously anticipating cheering their teams on next weekend, the Pro Bowl offers one last chance to see some of your favorite players in action before the long, lonely offseason.
Moreover, this year's Pro Bowl brings a new format. Team Captains Jerry Rice and Neon Deon Sanders drafted their teams from the elected 2014 Pro Bowlers, in the style of a fantasy draft (or, a school-yard kickball game).
This year, Steelers' strong safety, Troy Polamalu, and wide receiver, Antonio Brown, were voted to the Pro Bowl. With Polamalu out due to an injury, Antonio Brown will be the sole representative for the Black and Gold in Hawaii, and will be playing for Team Sanders.
With that in mind, I've prepared a tropical treat for number 84 - an Antonio Brown Betty! What is a Brown Betty? Essentially, it's a cobbler-style desert, most often prepared with apples, but sometimes substituting various fruits. I found this awesome recipe for Pineapple Brown Betty via Refinery29 and thought it would be the perfect toast to Antonio Brown's 2014 trip to Hawaii. Here we go!
Antonio Brown Betty
Recipe adapted from Refinery29
For the filling
20 oz can cubed pineapple in pineapple juice (yeilding 2 cups fruit and 1 cup juice)
4 cups (1 1/2 lbs) fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp spiced rum
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the topping
6 slices white (or wheat) bread, toasted
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine, pineapple, juice, 1/2 cup brown sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon in large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 25-30 minutes, until liquid reduces by half. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, break toast into breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Stir in brown sugar, salt and butter to coat breadcrumbs. Once pineapple mixture is removed from heat, add half breadcrumb mixture to sauce pan. Stir together to coat, then transfer to large (9 inch or larger) baking dish. Top with remaining crumb mixture, then bake for 30 minutes.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.
