Apple Bread

Again, I had barrels full of apples and before I got my early holiday present, I had to use them and while freezing them is a fantastic idea. I had so many frozen last year, I think I chucked more in the trash than I used. Which was sad. :(

Anyway, I'd gotten this recipe a while back and from whom I no longer remember. I know, I'm a horrible friend. I can't help it though, I'm terrible with just remembering names, let alone calling the right person by the right name and since the kids have come along, I think I've gotten dumber! Could be genetics though if I were to be honest. I can't tell you how many times my mother ran through everyone else's name when yelling at me. These names included an older sister who was 16 years older than I and no longer in the home and even my brother!! For years I walked around convinced my nose must be huge! My brother's nose, it's a family joke but, we mean it with love. I mean that big bro....just in case someone passes this post off to him. I figure the chances of this are slim but, if I don't prepare for it, he'll find it!

So, enough with the odd family issues, I made apple bread and darn good apple bread. It's loved so much by my friends and family that I have to pay people with apple pies when I need something done, a babysitter or personal favor!

Apple Bread

Ingredients:

3cps of flour
1 1/2cps of whole wheat flour*
2tsps cinnamon
1 1/2tsps of bakind soda
1/2tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2tsp nutmeg
3/4cp of sugar
3/4 cooking oil
3eggs
3tsps finely grated lemon peel**
6 -7 large apples or 8-10 small apples, shredded
* a pinch of ground cloves* You don't have to do this but, ground cloves in any bread is always delicious!

* If you've no whole wheat flour, I just used an additional 3/4cp of regular flour.
** I had no lemons on hard, nor frozen even so, I just added about 1/2tsp or so of lemon juice to the batter. I eyeballed it though. So, this is my best guess.

First preheat an oven to 350 degree F and pre-grease two loaf pans. Or you can cut parchment paper to size and do like I did with my zucchini bread. Look for the picture of them in the oven to get what I'm trying unsuccessfully to explain! :P

Obviously the most time consuming is coring, cutting out the bad spots and shredding the apples. You can leave the skins on if you'd like but, I peeled mine simply because mine came from an organic local grower and I wanted to make sure all the bad spots were out and I had no, visitors inside! :P  I also didn't want to shred mine, I tend to like the little diced chunks in my bread. It's a little more work to dice them small enough but, the finished product looks so delicious with bits of apple peaking at you!

I do the "baker thing" and combine and sift my dry ingredients. Then in another bowl, I combine the sugar, oil, eggs, apples and lemon. I confess to occasionally adding a smidgen of vanilla to this sometimes as well. Usually about 1/2- 1 tsp or so. Then I add the two mixes together.

Then into the oven or about 55 -60 minutes is what the recipe called for but, mine was in a bit longer. My advice is to check about the 60 min. mark. If your butter knife comes out clean, then it's done. Let it sit in the loaf pan for several minutes. Then remove to cooling wrack.

How good does this look and I have dozens of people that can vouch for how good it is as well! Enjoy.

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