The apple season has begun and that means it’s time to start picking. Picking apples leads to baking apples which then leads to consuming said baked apples, which, of course, is my favorite part.
Being the non-baker that I am, I nearly always find a way to get myself into some kind of baking trouble, especially as the weather cools and the season starts to change. Never quite the pie maker, but always the pie eater, I can say that I’ve definitely enjoyed my fair share of apple pie. I love apple pie, I love other pies, too, but a perfect warm piece of apple pie will make me happy anytime of the year.
But, for some reason, I can never get a homemade apple pie quite right. The crust is never cooked correctly or the filling isn’t sweet enough; it’s either one or the other. I’ve decided to leave the apple pie baking to the professionals and move on to something a little more foolproof: apple pie bread.
Okay, so it’s not your average kind of bread; it’s more along the lines of pumpkin or zucchini bread, but it’s soft and cake-like, topped with cinnamon, sugar and apples. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take another slice, thank you.
I had the pleasure of enjoying this apple pie bread still warm from the oven and I must say it was just as satisfying as a delicious piece of homemade apple pie.
Go all out and make it a la mode or top with some whipped cream and you’ve got yourself an apple dessert that will outdo all the rest.
Apple Pie Bread
Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients:
2/3 cup brown sugar, divided in half
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup apple, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.
- In a small bowl combine half of the brown sugar and the cinnamon, set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla together.
- Using a mixer, cream the butter with the remaining brown sugar and the white sugar, until fluffy. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla. Stir in the milk
- In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Add a third of the flour to the egg mixture, stir until just combined. Add another third, repeating until all of the flour mixture is incorporated. Try not to overmix.
- Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with half of the apple and half of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Combine the remaining apple into the remaining batter, pour into the loaf pan. Top with the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 40 minutes. Brush with the 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Cook for 5-10 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.
- Let cool 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
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Kayleigh Van Vliet Baig was born and raised in Riverhead, where she lives with her husband Tahir and their two dogs.Kayleigh is in her third season as Sous Chef at a private kitchen in Southampton. Not only is she second in command but her main focus is on creating, preparing and executing cold dishes such as salads, hors d’œuvres, appetizers, canapés, pâtés and terrines. Kayleigh has been in the culinary industry for the last 15 years, working her way up in kitchens on the East End. She also is a personal chef.
Look for In the Kitchen with Kayleigh every Saturday on RiverheadLOCAL.com.
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