The Scented Kitchen: A Cozy Saturday & Jacques’ Apple Brown Betty
Recently, on a Saturday afternoon, I decided to do something I rarely allow myself to do — absolutely nothing productive. No cooking ahead for the week, no laundry humming in the background, no work projects waiting on the counter. Just an honest-to-goodness afternoon off.
And it felt wonderful.
I curled up with an old favorite style of movie: film noir. There’s just something about those black-and-white classics where the mystery is more implied than shown that I’ve always loved. But this particular afternoon, I was in the mood for something lighter, so I settled on Julie & Julia, the 2009 movie starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as Julie Powell, the blogger determined to cook all 524 recipes from Julia Child’s famous cookbook in one year.
By the time the credits rolled, my wheels were turning.
Not because I suddenly wanted to master French cuisine. Truthfully, I don’t foresee a day when I’ll need to truss a duck. But I did love the idea of learning from someone passionate about cooking and simply enjoying the process of creating something comforting at home.
That’s when I stumbled across chef Jacques Pépin and his Home Cooking with Jacques Pépin videos online. Now that sounded like my kind of cooking.
Before diving into recipes, though, I wanted the kitchen to feel cozy and inspiring — the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to linger a little longer.
So I plugged in my Belle Aroma® Bijou Fragrance Vase™ and added White Tea & Ginger No-Mess Fragrance Tarts®. My kitchen opens directly into the living room, and within minutes the warm fragrance drifted throughout the house. It’s amazing how quickly scent can change the mood of a room. The soft notes of Earl Grey tea, lemon balm, and delicate florals instantly made the space feel calm and welcoming.
The Bijou Fragrance Vase has become one of my favorite little touches around the house, especially on quiet weekends like this one. The mosaic glass throws such a soft glow in the evenings, and because it’s compact, it fits perfectly into smaller spaces without taking over the room. Mine is the pink and gold mosaic finish, though the blue mosaic and silver are beautiful too.
What I love most, though, is how simple it is to change the entire feel of your home just by switching fragrances. Some days I want something fresh and airy. Other days — especially when baking — I want cozy and comforting.
That afternoon called for comfort.
As I searched through Jacques Pépin’s recipes, one in particular caught my attention: Croustade aux pommes, also known as Apple Brown Betty.
The thing that made me smile most was hearing Jacques explain that in restaurant kitchens he hated wasting food, so this dessert became a perfect way to use up leftover breads, cookies, crackers — whatever happened to be on hand. In his video, he even tossed in broken fortune cookies from leftover Chinese takeout.
Now that is my kind of recipe.
No perfection required.
No special shopping trip.
Just using what you already have and turning it into something wonderful.
And honestly, isn’t that what home cooking is all about?
Jacques’ Apple Brown Betty
Ingredients
- 8–10 oz leftover bread (I used sourdough, but use what you have)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup raisins (Jacques uses golden raisins)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
(reduce slightly if using sweeter breads or pastries) - 2 heaping tablespoons apricot preserves
- ¾ cup orange juice
- 2–3 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
Directions
Mix all ingredients together and place into a prepared baking dish.
Bake at 400° for 40–45 minutes.
Serve warm with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, sour cream, or crème fraîche.
We tried it the traditional way first, but in our house, ice cream won by a landslide.
One of my favorite parts of sharing recipes is seeing how other people make them their own. I passed this recipe along to my friend Julie, who used leftover Italian rolls, strawberry preserves, apples, and a pear. Her family absolutely loved it.
That’s the beauty of recipes like this — they’re flexible, forgiving, and meant to be enjoyed.
By the time the Apple Brown Betty went into the oven, I had combined Apple Orchard and White Tea & Ginger No-Mess Fragrance Tarts and they had already made the house smell like a cozy bakery. The scent of warm apples, spice, tea, and soft florals filled every room before dessert was even served.
It ended up being one of the most relaxing Saturdays I’ve had in a long while.
Sometimes all it takes is a good movie, a comforting recipe, and a home that feels warm and inviting to remind us to slow down and simply enjoy where we are.
Lori Herr for The Gift of Scent®
