Caramel-Glazed Apple Quick Bread

Coffee break time!

The transition between summer and fall is the time of year I love the most. Slightly cooler than summer, but not yet the blah grey drizzle of winter. Visions of sweaters, boots, and warm comfort foods dance around my head. Apple varieties appearing at the market is starting to grow as crops are harvested in the orchards.

Caramel-Glazed Apple Quick Bread makes a great gift

I was craving a warm, spicy apple bread. I glazed this one with a brown sugary caramel glaze and sprinkled the top with toasted pecans. If you like a more nutty bread, mix the pecans right into the batter.

Caramel-Glazed Apple Quick Bread

Caramel-Glazed Apple Quick Bread
Based on this recipe

Ingredients
Apple Quick Bread
1-1/2 cups shredded, peeled apple (about 2 apples)
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
Vegetable spray

Glaze
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 2 - 4” x 8” loaf pans by spraying bottoms lightly with vegetable spray. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, stir together shredded apple, brown sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil and eggs until completely mixed. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
4. Add flour mixture to apple mixture and stir until just combined.
5. Divide batter between 2 loaf pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the bread comes out clean.
6. Cool bread in pans for about 20 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.
7. To make glaze: In a small saucepan, melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Bring sugar mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add milk, then bring back to a boil. Remove from heat.
8. Allow glaze to come to room temperature. Stir in sifted icing sugar.
9. Drizzle about half the glaze over the tops of the loafs. Sprinkle toasted pecans on top of the wet glaze, then use remaining glaze to drizzle over loafs again.

*No buttermilk? To make 1/2 cup of homemade buttermilk, mix 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, stir it and let it sit for a few minutes to curdle. Stir again before using.

Extra glaze? Hoard Drizzle it over slices of cake to make them extra special.

This column first appeared in Stimuli Magazine. Check out my column

'Just Desserts' for more sweet and delicious recipes!