Apple Bread Recipe

When I made my Wanna Be Wendy’s Chili the other day, I paired it with Apple Bread.

Although this is a quickbread, and a bit sweet, it is not as sweet or desert-y as a typical zucchini bread or such. To me it is around the same sweetness level as the cornbread we make here in the north! (yes, having lived in the South I realize that the concept of sweet cornbread is sacreligious. . . .but hey, I like what I like).

I found this recipe in my copy of Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything” a few years ago. If you’ve never seen this cookbook I recommend that you check it out of your local library system. It really is a great all purpose cooking resource book. One year I got a copy for each of my siblings for Christmas-and I never BUY books anymore. So that should tell you something!

Apple Bread

2 C flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS baking powder
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1/4 C melted butter
1 1/4 C milk
1 C peeled and grated apple (drain if very watery)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan (approx 9X5)

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. Beat egg with butter and milk in another. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and then pour the wet ingredients in. Mix unit all the dry ingredients are moist (will still be lumpy-don’t worry. Just don’t overbeat this)

Pour into pan and bake approx 1 hour (until knife or toothpick inserted in center comes out dry).

I made the following substitutions this time:

Replaced melted butter with oil.
Replaced grated apple with applesauce.

In the past I have always used the grated apple, but I’ve never bothered peeling them.

This recipe is a great gift for neighbors, friends, folks who are under the weather etc. I like it toasted in the morning with a bit of butter. Yum. I bet it would make some very interesting french toast too. . .