Happy fall, y'all!
Are you as excited about the season as I am? I'm always glad when autumn rolls around, but this year I'm extra excited. I've got a list a mile long of recipes, both new and old, to try, a couple new sweaters picked out, and a bevy of experiences I want to pack into the next few months.
Choosing this recipe to kick off my fall food frenzy was an easy choice. First of all, it features apples. I'm kind of in love with them (duh!) and am always looking for new recipes to feed my addiction. The big, juicy chunks of my favorite fruit are prominent here and I just love it. Add in some chopped pecans and a sweet praline glaze and we're at a whole new level. This is definitely one of those fantastic quick breads that is questionably breakfast and possibly dessert--a bad decision you really don't feel that guilty about. Even if you eat it for both breakfast and dessert one day. Or two. Not that I did that or anything...
Praline Apple Bread
slightly adapted from Southern Living, September 2009
Ingredients:
8 oz. sour cream or Greek yogurt (low fat is fine)
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. finely chopped, peeled firm apples
1 c. chopped toasted pecans, divided
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla on low speed until blended, about 2 minutes.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to sour cream mixture in three additions, beating on low speed until just blended. Stir in apples and half the pecans.
3. Spoon batter into a prepared 9x5 loaf pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover with foil after 50 minutes to prevent the bread from browning too much. (I didn't need to do this.) Cool in the pan on a wire rack 10 minutes, then turn bread out and allow to cool completely on the rack.
4. When bread is cool, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Let boil 1 minutes, then remove from heat. Place a silicone mat or piece of foil under wire rack and carefully spoon or pour praline icing over bread. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Let cool and set completely (about 1 hour) before slicing.
***Note: The original recipe says the bread can be frozen up to 3 months wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. Defrost at room temperature. I have not tried this yet, but if I do, I would freeze it uniced, then add icing after bread is fully defrosted.
Are you as excited about the season as I am? I'm always glad when autumn rolls around, but this year I'm extra excited. I've got a list a mile long of recipes, both new and old, to try, a couple new sweaters picked out, and a bevy of experiences I want to pack into the next few months.
Choosing this recipe to kick off my fall food frenzy was an easy choice. First of all, it features apples. I'm kind of in love with them (duh!) and am always looking for new recipes to feed my addiction. The big, juicy chunks of my favorite fruit are prominent here and I just love it. Add in some chopped pecans and a sweet praline glaze and we're at a whole new level. This is definitely one of those fantastic quick breads that is questionably breakfast and possibly dessert--a bad decision you really don't feel that guilty about. Even if you eat it for both breakfast and dessert one day. Or two. Not that I did that or anything...
Praline Apple Bread
slightly adapted from Southern Living, September 2009
Ingredients:
8 oz. sour cream or Greek yogurt (low fat is fine)
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. finely chopped, peeled firm apples
1 c. chopped toasted pecans, divided
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla on low speed until blended, about 2 minutes.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to sour cream mixture in three additions, beating on low speed until just blended. Stir in apples and half the pecans.
3. Spoon batter into a prepared 9x5 loaf pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover with foil after 50 minutes to prevent the bread from browning too much. (I didn't need to do this.) Cool in the pan on a wire rack 10 minutes, then turn bread out and allow to cool completely on the rack.
4. When bread is cool, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Let boil 1 minutes, then remove from heat. Place a silicone mat or piece of foil under wire rack and carefully spoon or pour praline icing over bread. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Let cool and set completely (about 1 hour) before slicing.
***Note: The original recipe says the bread can be frozen up to 3 months wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. Defrost at room temperature. I have not tried this yet, but if I do, I would freeze it uniced, then add icing after bread is fully defrosted.