Apple Pecan Bread

Southern cooking and Southern baking are renowned for their homemade deliciousness found in every bite. Every recipe is a work of art, and many are family heirlooms that have been passed down from generation to generation. I got my Southern cooking roots more from my Aunt Gloria than I did my mom. My Aunt Gloria was a fabulous cook, and I cook a lot like she did. My mother, on the other hand, was a horrible cook. She burned everything. She inherited this trait from her mother, my grandmother, whose specialty was “that burned thing”. My mom’s brothers always talked about having to constantly scrape the burnt part off their toast every morning. All I can say is I am glad I was able to learn from my Aunt Gloria, watching and learning from the counter as I sat and colored while she was busy in the kitchen, cooking away to her heart’s content.

I am a little late in the Mardi Gras celebrations, but better late than never right?! Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, was last week, but I was busy making breakfast burritos The Burrito Factory. So, I am making my Mardi Gras goodies this week instead. This week, there is most definitely a Southern/Mardi Gras theme to what will be served on the coffee cart. My first treat is an apple pecan bread.

This bread is more like a cake than a bread. It’s loaded with apples and pecans, and topped with a rich buttery brown sugar glaze. It is so moist and just melts in your mouth. It definitely lives up to its reputation for delicious Southern cooking and baking.

Apple Pecan Bread

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190*C.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.

1 cup either sour cream or yogurt

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 TBSP vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups toasted pecans, chopped, divided

1 1/2 cups apples, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.

Mix the yogurt or sour cream together with the eggs, sugar and vanilla. I use both yogurt and sour cream interchangeably. I find they both work great, and it really just depends on what I have on hand at the time. Mayonnaise also works well. Add the flour mixture 1/2 at a time, and mix in between each addition.

Gently fold in the apples and about 1/2 of the chopped pecans. Then evenly spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for about an hour, or until it is golden brown and a toothpick that is inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake/bread to cool completely before adding the glaze.

For the glaze, melt the butter and the brown sugar together in a sauce pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a full rapid boil and let boil for 1 minute, then pour over the bread. Top with the remaining chopped pecans.

I toast my pecans right on the stove top, in a very hot skillet, with no added oil or butter. It only takes a couple of minutes. Watch them closely though, because hey will burn easily and quickly once they start toasting.

The only butter that is used for this is in the glaze. It’s a scrumptious praline glaze that goes perfectly with the bread.

All that is left to do is to slice it up and share it with loved ones. YUMMY!

Have a great day Everyone. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.