Apple Spice Bread Recipe

This has been the year of the apple. Not only was I able to forage from "feral" apple trees in public places, but friends have given me boxes of apples, too. I've made applesauce, dried apple rings, and apple pie filling - and of course we've eaten many apples "as is." But the family favorite seems to be the apple spice bread I created this year. Yum!

What You Need:

9 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups peels, chopped apples (I used Gravensteins)
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 cup packed brown sugar

Mixer with bowl (or a bowl and mixing spoon)
Loaf pan
Small bowl for melting butter in the microwave (or a saucepan)



How to Do It:

1. Cover the raisins with water and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the loaf pan.

2. In the bowl of the mixer, cream 8 tablespoons of butter (reserve the additional 1 tablespoon for later) and the sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the flour and mix well. Add the vanilla, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (reserve the remaining 1/4 teaspoon for later), the nutmeg, and the cloves; mix well.

4. Add the apples and fold in by hand. Drain the raisins and fold into the batter by hand. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

5. Combine the brown sugar with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and drizzle over the batter in the loaf pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar combination over the loaf.

6. Place in the preheated oven. Bake until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 70 to 80 minutes.