Apple Pecan Praline Bread

Get a double dose of apples and pecans in this apple pecan praline bread. With apples and applesauce in the bread, and pecans inside and out!

I didn’t realize until adding the recipe links from one or more years ago that today marks being a PhD for 2 years. It’s already been two years!? It’s incredibly hard to believe. Oddly enough, I was reliving some of the less fun moments of the end (namely the formatting review process) with a friend (and former lab mate) who is currently undergoing the same hellish process to complete her PhD. It’s as if they want to make it as painful as possible, knowing you will suffer through it because it’s the only thing left standing in your way from getting the heck out of there and on to your job. Ugh… can you tell it’s still a sore spot, even 2 years later?

But I digress, let’s eat some apple pecan bread smothered in a praline topping. After picking 25 pounds of apples when my Dad and step mom came to visit recently, I’ve been enjoying out plundering straight of the core. But I finally decided that I needed to put them to work elsewhere before I ate 1/5 of my weight in apples. The bread has both applesauce and chopped apples mixed in, as well as pecans, and then more pecans and thrown on top for a praline glaze. But don’t worry, it’s not overly sweet, it’s just right!

This bread was inspired by Renee’s (Tortillas and Honey) selection of pralines from A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines as part of The Book Club Cook Book Cooking Crew. Want to join in? Enter to win a copy of the cookbook at the end of this post!

One year ago: White Chocolate Apple Blondies

Two years ago: White Chocolate-Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Sandwiches

Four years ago: Healthier Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

APPLE PECAN PRALINE BREAD

Makes 1 loaf or 3 mini loaves

Ingredients:

BREAD

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

1/2 cup diced apple

1 egg, beaten

1 cup applesauce

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

GLAZE

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a standard sized loaf pan (or three mini loaf pans).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold in the pecans and apple to the dry ingredients.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, applesauce, and melted butter. Add to dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms, but do not overmix.
4. Smooth batter into loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour (30 minutes for mini loaves) or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
5. Once the bread is cool, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring brown sugar, butter and milk to a boil. Keep at a boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat.
6. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and using a hand mixer beat on medium speed until smooth. Pour the glaze immediately over the cooled bread and sprinkle with pecans.

Source: Bread adapted from my Almond Toffee Applesauce Bread, topping adapted from Gonna Want Seconds.