DOUBLE APPLE WALNUT BREAD

I was given 2 boxes of apples from my sister-in-law and have been making food all week with them! I am working on a post with all sorts of ideas and recipes for using these apples- so stay tuned! In the mean time, I wanted to share a favorite of ours- Double Apple Walnut Bread. I originally got the recipe from Family Fun magazine. It's a very moist, versatile & yummy bread. It freezes particularly well, so I often make 3 mini loaves instead of 1 large loaf.

Double Apple Walnut Bread

1 cup smooth unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I always just use vanilla!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup peeled, cored, and finely diced apple (I use 1 medium sized apple- Pink lady is awesome, but any full flavored, tart apple is good!)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Line a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with waxed or parchment paper (or grease and flour it), then set it aside. Heat the oven to 350°.

2. Combine the applesauce, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Whisk well to blend.

3. In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir just enough to combine; do not overmix. Fold in the apples and walnuts.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spoon. Evenly sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar over the top. Bake on the center oven rack until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes.

5. Remove the pan from the oven and put it on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and place it on the rack to finish cooling. Makes 10 servings.

Enjoy!