Apple Praline Bread

I'm always on the hunt for new recipes involving pumpkins & apples. I LOVE using apples & pumpkin in the fall. It just feels right.

Last year, I found this recipe for Apple Praline Bread in Southern Living and HAD to make it. OH MY HEAVENS! It is dangerously tasty.

Photo: SouthernLiving.com

I couldn't wait to make it again this year, but it had to be for some occasion or else The Hubs & I would eat the entire loaf all by ourselves. Well this weekend I had just the occasion! My bestie & our moms were coming to my house for a little mother/daughter weekend while our husbands were away on a "man trip." I served the Apple Praline Bread along with some things we picked up at the local Farmer's Market for brunch this morning.



Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
* 1 (8-oz.) container light sour cream
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (about 3/4 lb.)
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.

2. Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.

3. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup toasted pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.

4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.

5. Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hour).

My Tid-Bits:

* To keep from making a huge mess, be sure to place a piece of foil under the wire rack before you start pouring on the praline sauce.

* Also, I only used about 1/2 of the praline sauce. It was plenty.

* See those pancakes in the brunch picture. They're delicious! I'll share the recipes for those sometime soon.