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Breakfast & Brunch | October 13, 2009

Southern Praline Apple Bread

Southern Praline Apple Bread
Southern Praline Apple Bread
Southern Praline Apple Bread



EVERYONE is concerned about eating low fat. Or gaining weight, or losing it. I’m transfixed by “The Biggest Loser” it’s the only TV show I watch. Ok, maybe transfixed isn’t the right word, bc I can’t watch the whole episode (all of that yelling and drama) but the weigh in at the end… amazing. I have people ask me all of the time- do you cook low fat? Can you come up with a low fat recipe for __(insert event)? The answer is always the same. NO. I have a little bit of an attitude about low fat, low sugar, low anything cooking. I don’t like it. My rule is – take smaller portions and enjoy the food. I always (used to) think that low fat=low taste. But this recipe proved me wrong.

 
Weight gain has never been a huge prob for me- until big M started to crash my party. It’s Peri-M, technically. I’ve been told this stage of life can go on for 10 years. Sooo I’m more than 1/2 way through the Peri stage, and then the fun continues. For another 1-10 years. Hot flashes, mood swings, memory loss, WEIGHT GAIN. Are you kidding me? We get stretch marks and this? The hot flash part is my fave. Love it when I start fanning myself and Jacob (13) yells out “HOT FLASH”!!! Due to issues caused by my uninvited guest – Big M. I have tried to make changes to my diet- more whole grain, more fruits and veggies, less carbs, less FAT.
 
I made this apple bread the way it is printed originally, and then modified it a bit, with low fat options. I liked both. For the extra fat and calories, I would choose to make this the low fat way in the future. Side by side, there was hardly a taste difference. So yes, I guess I can cook low fat. If I have to.
Southern Praline Apple Bread
 

Southern Praline Apple Bread

Author abountifulkitchen

Ingredients

  • modified with lower fat/sugar alternatives in
  • adapted from Southern Living Magazine
  • 1 cup chopped pecans divided
  • 1 8- oz. container sour cream 1/2 cup low fat sour cream plus 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs 1 egg plus 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled apples, about 3/4 lb.
  • 1/2 cup butter 2 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1 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. Add to bowl with sour cream mixture- flour, powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, chopped apples and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. Mix all together at once, so apples are coated with flour mixture. This will keep the apples from sinking to bottom of pan. Mix just until blended. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.
  4. Bake at 350° for about 1 hour 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 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).
  6. This is a very dense quick bread.

Recipe Notes

-the real original recipe calls for a whopping 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar for the praline topping. Now, I love sugar and butter, but even I thought this was a little overkill.-the real original also called for 1 1/2 cups of nuts. I slashed the nut total to 1 cup and added 1/4 cup of flour to the batter. It was just a little too nut filled for me.-I also think substituting 1/2 cup of buttermilk for the sour cream would work. Another way to cut fat. Sheesh. This is exhausting.

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