Monday, October 4, 2010

Fresh Apple Bread

This apple bread recipe is a spin off of the Fresh Peach Bread in a previous post with a few changes made.  Cinnamon was added, along with apple butter.  Brown sugar replaces some of the white sugar and I used apples instead of peaches.  We got lucky one day and ran across a basket of fabulous Honeycrisps that were seconds and half price.  They were almost perfect apples, except for a few natural scars and very few bruises.  We had to buy them and they were the inspiration for this apple bread.  Each one was huge and we have really enjoyed them.   One apple cut up was equal to 2 cups.  All weren't that big, but most were.  Honeycrisps seem to be the "bomb" apple.  They are always priced more that other varieties because of demand, but they are so worth it.
Note on Honeycrip Apples:  The Honeycrisp is a relatively new apple that is a cross between a Macoun and Honeygold and is American made.   This variety was developed by the University of Minnesota and introduced to the apple growers in 1991.  The Honeycrisp has been wildly successful and many growers can't keep them in stock.  As more growers are producing Honeycrisps availability is becoming less of a problem, although they are still priced higher than other apples.  They are great eating apples as they are sweet and tart at the same time and crisp.  They are also very good cooking and baking apples because of their texture and flavor, that is if you have enough left over to bake with.  The honeycrisp is a win-win apple, don't you think?  My family can't get enough of them.


There is a farmers market that I go to that has there own chickens and sells the eggs at their stand.  They are always mixed, not just brown or white or speckled, and this batch had a couple of blue eggs.  For some reason, I just really loved that and saved it for last.  Kinda silly, but fun and special to me.
Isn't it lovely, kinda like you want to take take of it.  Like the little kid on the block.

This bread is the same method as for the Peach Bread.  Mix all dry ingredients into one bowl and the wet into another and then add them together.  This is called the muffin method (or at least one name for it).  Preheat the oven to 350 degree and toast the nuts for 10 to 15 minutes and then cool them.  Chop the apple into 1/2 inch dice that equals to 2 cups.
 Here are the dry ingredients:  the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
And the wet:  eggs, sugars, vanilla and canola oil.
Make sure each bowl is mixed thoroughly before combining them together. 
After a gentle mix, add the apples and cooled nuts. Notice that the batter still shows some flour.  Not completely mixing the batter helps the batter from being over mixed when adding the apples and nuts.
 Now this is what it looks like when it is mixed up.  It is a thick and chunky batter.  I love large chunks of fruit and/or nuts in my breads.  If you like a smaller dice, go for it.

Put it in a pan . . .
. . . and bake those puppies at 350 degrees for about an hour.
Here is a loaf on a cooling rack.  I first I thought maybe they were too brown but the cinnamon and apple butter really darken the batter and the finished loaves.  These loaves went fast.  My family, with the help of my neighbor, devoured them.

One last suggestion:  Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar until well blended and drizzle over the top.  Just a little decadent touch to make these lovely home cooked loaves a bit special!


Fresh Apple Quick Bread
makes 2 9X5 inch loaves


3 eggs
3/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cups of light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of canola oil
2 tablespoons of apple butter or apple cider
2 cups of fresh apples, diced 1/2 inch
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, unbleached
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toast the nuts for 10 to 15 minutes in the oven, stirring occasionally.  Set aside to cool.  Chop when cool enough.

Chop the apples into 1/2 inch size pieces and place in a bowl and set aside. Peeling the apples is unnecessary unless you want to. 

In one bowl mix the dry ingredients:  all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.

In another bowl mix the wet ingredients:  eggs, both sugars, apple butter or cider, oil and vanilla.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until almost completely mixed, you should still be able to see some of the dry ingredients.

Add the nuts and the apples and stir a couple of times until just mixed.  Do not over mix.  Pour into 2  greased 9 X 5 loaf pans and bake for 1 hour or until done.  Test for doneness with wooden skewer or toothpick.  When it comes out clean or with crumbs on it it is done.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes and then take the loaves out and cool on a rack for 20 minutes.

Suggestion:  Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar until well blended and drizzle over the top.

Note:  Honeycrisp apples were used in the recipe and they worked very well.  Any favorite baking/pie apple should do well.

Printable Recipe

21 comments:

  1. Fresh apple bread sounds like such a wonderful breakfast, thanks for sharing.

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  2. What cute looking little loaves! I love apple bread, and this recipe sounds like a great one. Thanks for sharing:)

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  3. mmm this looks so good!! Honeycrisp are my fav, I agree the extra cost is worth it. Can't wait to try this recipe out.

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  4. I love apple bread and I love it when it has big chunks of sweet apple. I'm saving this recipe and I'm becoming your newest follower! Thnaks!

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  5. Your apple bread looks so delicious. I've had apple bread before but have never made it. I'm definitely going to give this a try. Thanks for the recipe, I can't wait to eat some homemade apple bread! :)

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  6. Mmmm, this bread looks wonderful. What a perfect fall recipe!

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  7. I printed this recipe for my co-worker because she had an abundance of apples to use.

    The bread is DELICIOUS! I'm printing it for myself now! ;)

    R.

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  8. I love those big chunks of apple you put in there, makes me feel like fall... :)

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  9. I've featured this bread on my Friday Favourites feature this week!

    R.
    akajolie.blogspot.com

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  10. mmmm ... yr apple bread sounds so yummy

    and u hv a lovely site n nice pics :)

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  11. I am imagining the smell of this coming from my oven & it is glorious!

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  12. So beautiful , it looks scrumptious!

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  13. My stomach growled after reading this post! Delicious!!!

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  14. Thank you all for such lovely, encouraging comments. Apples are such a fun ingredient to work with because of the different characteristics of the varieties, but it is hard to miss with a Honeycrisp. Thank you again.

    Laura

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  15. Funny how everyone in our family has a different favorite apple! Two of my kids love honeycrisps (we just discovered them last year), one likes only Fuji, my husband likes golden delicious, and my favorites are macoun and cortland, although I will eat any apple, any time. This recipe looks great. Can't wait to try it!

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  16. Hi

    Do you freeze these loaves with or without the apple-cider glaze.

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  17. Jackie, Without, I would not freeze them with the glaze on because when unthawing it probably would end up mushy. I would consider warming the loaf after unthawing before drizzling on the glaze although I have never done this myself. I have never had a chance to freeze a loaf, mine just don't last that long. I have been thinking of making some more before honeycrisps go out of season. Let me know how yours turn out after being frozen although I am sure this bread freezes well.

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  18. Hello almost three years after your last comment! Not sure if you're still monitoring this, but just in case. I used your recipe as a base for making apple honey bread, because I was having a hard time find a good one. I made a couple of changes: I replaced the white sugar with honey, I replaced the oil with butter, and I used all regular white flour. Although I thought the apples didn't soften enough in the bread, the crumb was a bit dry (I think because of the all-butter change), and I overbaked a tad (dark pan, baked at 350, sheesh), I entered it in the Kentucky State Fair category for honey bread. It won 3rd! Very exciting. I just made it again and made further changes. This time I grated a cup of fresh apple, then cut up the rest and simmered it in water and honey until they were just soft. I also backed off the butter, using 1/4 cup of that and 1/2 of oil. I did *not* use the liquid from simmering the apples; I'm going to use that as the base for the glaze. It's in the oven now... I will report back!

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    Replies
    1. Very interesting. I usually work my recipes to the more healthy side, more grains a little less sugar. I love the honey substitution and I am really interested in how the butter/oil combination came out. I usually chop verses grate because I really like the apple chunks. Apples also vary so much when baked that changing up the type of apple you use makes a big difference. What type of apples did you use? I really like Fuji's for baking when I can find good ones.

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