Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday: Apple Pie Bread

I love the combination of cinnamon and apples, it's just such a cozy flavor, and reminds me of sweaters and fire places.  It also brings to mind apple pie, which is more of a summer thing, especially topped with vanilla ice cream - yum-o!  Well, with this bread, you can have the taste of apple pie without the trouble of rolling out pie crusts, or worrying about your ice cream melting too quickly.  This bread requires a few more ingredients than I like to have in one recipe, but they are all things that I keep in my pantry on a regular basis, so it came together quickly, and was delicious.  I will tell you that it can dry out a little faster than other sweet breads, so you'll need to eat it quickly or freeze the second loaf for later use (which works beautifully).  I'm thinking about adding some applesauce to the batter next time and see if that helps.  So, here's how to whip up a wonderful loaf of Apple Pie bread,,,

3 c Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves

3 Eggs
1 c Oil (I use Sunflower)
1 1/4 c Brown Sugar (I use Raw)
1 c Sugar (I use Unrefined)
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
2 c Chopped Apples (I used 2 Gala Apples)
3/4 c Chopped Pecans (Optional, I did not add these this time around, and it was still delicious)

1.) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Sift together the first set of ingredients (Dry); set aside.
2.) Beat eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla until well combined.  Add flour (dry) mixture, to wet ingredients and beat well.
3.) Stir in apples (and pecans, if using), until well mixed.  Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans.  
4.) Baked in preheated oven for approximately an hour (oven temperatures do vary so make sure to check for doneness along the way).  Remove from oven and allow bread to cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing loaf to wire rack to cool completely.  Recipe makes 2 large loaves or 4-6 mini loaves (which bake in about 30-40 minutes)