Sweet Apple-Almond Bread

This morning I had some time so I threw together a variation on an apple bread recipe. I didn't have all the ingredients on the list so I made some modifications. It tastes really good so I thought I'd share how I made it.


To Get Started - Gather Ingredients

Sift the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Start with three cups of all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour. Add a teaspoon each of baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then add one teaspoon of cinnamon and one teaspoon of apple pie spice. Set the mix aside.



In another medium size mixing bowl, beat three eggs with one cup of oil. Make sure the oil isn't rancid because old oil will make this bread taste yucky. Add a cup of white sugar and a packed cup and a quarter of brown sugar. Add a tablespoon of vanilla, mix thoroughly.

Combine wet and dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and butter a 8 x 8 glass casserole dish.

Add three-quarter of a cup of sliced almonds.

Next, prepare the apples. Granny Smith is definitely the way to go. I tried Fuji and one other apple brand and I didn't care for the taste. Avoid over-ripe apples.

There are a couple ways to prepare them. The first method involves peeling the apples, coring them and dicing the bits. This works fine, but here's how I do it. I get out my cheese grater and grate the apples on four sides. Wear rubber gloves, if you can, and be careful not to shred your fingers. I don't bother to peel them. The skin grinds up small and is not even noticeable in the finished bread. I figure it adds a little extra fiber, and I'm all about finding ways to eat yummy food while being healthy about it.

Add the shredded apples to the bread dough and gently mix. I use my hands for this.

Put the mixture in the 8 x 8 pan and pat down flat. Bake on the middle rack for an hour. Pull out the rack and see if the middle of the bread jiggles. If it jiggles, bake it for another ten minutes and re-check. Continue checking and adding time until a fork, knife or toothpick stuck into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Let cool on a pot holder or cooling rack.





Cut into pieces and serve. I like mine with applesauce and real maple syrup. The applesauce is mild enough not to overwhelm the bread and the maple syrup just adds the little extra sweetness that it needs.

Enjoy! Post your pictures below if you try making this at home. I'd love to see.

Sweet Apple-Almond Bread

Recipe Type: Sweet Bread
Author: Adapted from hoosierhomemade.com
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins
Total time: 1 hour 40 mins
Serves: 12 servings

Catch those apples before they hit the ground! The perfect dessert for those hideous green apples that nobody knows what to do with. Make them go away!

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup oil
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups Granny Smith apples
3/4 cups sliced almonds

Instructions:

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.
Mix wet ingredients in medium size bowl.
Combine.
Shred apple and add to mixture.
Bake in 8 x 8 pan at 325 degrees for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Check every ten minutes after the hour mark to see if a butter knife comes out clean.