Entry 2: Personal Favorite - Apple Bread

Maker's breath! Er- I mean, baker's bread! Oh, did I bake some bread. To gear up for a Dungeons and Dragons RPG game this past weekend, I baked my first vegan loaf of bread: apple bread. It is a sweet, filling treat loaf similar to banana bread. Apple bread can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dessert. And my folks just arrived home from a vacation, so I baked them a non-vegan variety as a welcome-home gift.

This recipe is based off of an apple bread recipe originally created by a coworker of mine. I have a Kitchen Aid mixer and I wash dishes faster than Flemeth can shift into a dragon so I had excellent timing and enjoyed spending the first half of my weekend baking and cleaning. Not that I didn't run into the occasional blunder or misstep, mind you. But we are all humble creations of the Maker, right? Check out the full recipe below.

This is the kind of sweet loaf I imagine bakers in the various cities of Orlais making for common townspeople to enjoy as they go about their business. Orlais is known for its decadence but also its subtleties. Apple bread appears bland at first glimpse but holds bold, sweet flavors and fills any empty stomach nicely. Plus, going by the Southern Hemisphere lore theory (special thanks to Ghil Dirthalen on that - see source section for more), the Dales are ideally situated for apple orchards alongside other kinds of farms. This kind of loaf could also be an excellent seasonal treat during a festival or holiday season, like Satinalia in Firstfall.


To start, I always assemble my ingredients on the counter.

Then I took time to slice and peel the apples (you shouldn't do it in that order though, peel then slice - don't be like me and grumble about sticky hands while you fiddle with halved apples and a peeling knife over a compost bin).

Once my apples were chopped, I assembled my dry ingredients in a bowl. For the vegan loaf (left), I added a small pinch of allspice and for the non-vegan loaf (right), I added a larger pinch of cardamom. 

Mmm, apples...

For the vegan loaf, I also added some shredded carrot and more apples. 

This ingredient is not pictured above, but is very important to include: lemon peel. You can shred some lemon peel fresh or (if you are lazy like me), you can add dried lemon peel. And this is the point where I realized I should grease my loaf pans and preheat my oven.

Mixing up some wet ingredients! For the vegan loaf, I halved the sugar (sensing a pattern yet?). 

(Pretty easy to tell which is which above.)

Contrary to what my images suggest, I baked the non-vegan version first, washed a round of dishes, snacked, and then mixed up and baked the vegan loaf second.

While the vegan loaf baked, I conquered another of round dishes!

And voila! Apple bread! Delicious and nutritious. 

Loaves like these can be frozen for 2 to 3 months or enjoyed fresh over the course of a week. Quick pro tip: I recommend vegetable shortening over coconut oil for the baking pans - paint it up the whole sides and keep it thick in the corners. The corners like to stick. Also, if you do not have a stand mixer, use a wide, wooden mixing spoon to combine ingredients. A hand mixer can make your chopped apple too small so I don't recommend using one. Unless you don't like big apple chunks. I love big apple chunks.


If you enjoyed this Personal Favorite entry, there will be another one next week. I hope you give this recipe a try!
And thank you for reading!


Apple Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
(Optional: 1 tsp cardamom or 1/4 tsp allspice)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 to 1 C sugar
1 C peeled and finely chopped apple
1/4 C vegetable oil
1/4 C applesauce or 1 egg
1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
(Optional: 1/2 C chopped pecans)

Directions:
Set oven to 350℉.
Grease an 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pan with vegetable shortening or coconut oil, set aside.
Combine flour, cinnamon (additional spice), baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; set aside.
Combine sugar, chopped apple, vegetable oil, applesauce or egg, and lemon peel; mix well.
In three or four parts, add the dry ingredients to the apple mixture. Stir until moistened. (Fold in pecans.) Bake for 55-60 minutes. Remove from pan promptly and allow to cool completely.
Slice and enjoy!

If you want to add carrot like I did, chop 3/4 C apple and shred 1/2 C carrot, mix as normal with wet ingredients.


Like what you are reading? Great! There's more to come in the next few weeks. Please follow and share widely!

Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Please feel free to comment below. You can also email me at foodsofthedas@gmail.com, message me at AGSamuels on Reddit, or tweet me at Essem_Jay on Twitter.

Walk always in the Maker's light.

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Sources:

Ghil Dirthalen: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUWYiR2a5iD0cZktuODPoVw
Ghil Dirthalen, The Thedas Calendar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhaFqA99ELE

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