Today was the first day it was actually cold out, and it’s looking like it will be this way all week. I woke up surprised. I actually had a sweater on today, but a lot of people were walking around in tee shirts. I couldn’t believe it. They are not ready to let go of the summer, that’s for sure!
As I have said, I love the fall. I enjoy the cool mornings, the warmth when the sun shines in the day and the windy nights. Although the leaves are falling and the days are getting shorter, the trees have not really changed color and I am especially looking forward to that. I do have to admit that I am not a fan of the acorns falling on my car.
This is a busy time for me as I have already begun working on my Thanksgiving festivities. I am excited to say that we recently began a new tradition for the holiday! Each year a family is assigned to pick a charity that has meaning to them and every person is asked to contribute to the charity. I base the colors I use to decorate my home on the charities logo. I can’t say what it is yet, because every year I like to surprise everyone. The charity that is picked has a special meaning to that part of the family, and when they share the story behind it, it becomes meaningful to all of us. One year we gave to The American Heart Foundation. The bartender that we hired for the evening donated his entire tip because his grandmother had stents put in a few weeks earlier. How nice was that? People feel good about giving, so our Thanksgivings have become even more sentimental.
This apple cinnamon bread is a perfect dessert for fall, and is going on my Thanksgiving list. It has two delectable layers of apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar. The butter warms your mouth with each bite. This dish is so amazingly aromatic, your neighbors might even get a whiff while it bakes.
This recipe is courtesy of All Recipes and will serve 10 people whose senses will be captivated by this delicious dessert.
Ingredients for Apple Cinnamon Bread
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract (I used a little more)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 large apple, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 1 /4 cups chopped) -(I used Granny Smith)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, and/or line it with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and the brown sugar; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth, then add white sugar and continue to blend until fully incorporated.
Add eggs and vanilla and blend until well combined.
Slowly add flour, baking powder, salt and then milk.
Blend just until all ingredients are well combined. Do not over-mix.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
Top batter with half of the diced apples and half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Press apples and cinnamon sugar into the batter just a bit with the back of a large spoon. (I used my hand.)
Pour the remaining batter on top of the apple layer (spread as needed), then top with remaining apples and remaining cinnamon sugar.
Again, press the apples and cinnamon sugar into the batter a bit.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to continue cooling.
It’s that simple!
