We had perfect weather today, the kind that demands chores or any thought of work be put aside. The Silver Fox and I headed to the coast with a blanket and a picnic hamper in tow. The picnic was a compromise because we couldn't agree on a restaurant for our lunch. I quickly assembled some steak sandwiches and pulled this apple bread from the freezer. I found the recipe for it on the Betty Crocker site, and when the first of the early apples became available, I decided to give the bread a try. I was drawn to the recipe because it was so easy to make and the bread is the kind that travels well. That makes it  perfect for picnics, fall meetings or lunch box treats. Some who have tried the recipe reported finding it too dry. Fortunately, I was able to avoid the problem by letting the grated apples sit for about 30 minutes before using them. I added both the apples and their accumulated juices to the batter. I also had to adjust baking time because I don't have the pan size called for in the recipe. I used a slightly larger pan and my loaves were done in about 35  minutes. While this is a nice bread, I must admit it is not my favorite. I will, however, make it again because it's so easy to do. The bread is just barely sweet and it really needs the caramel glaze to keep it in the sweet treat category. The glaze is delicious and I'm going to keep it in mind for other fall desserts. If you are looking for a serviceable sweet bread, I think you'll enjoy this. Here's the recipe.

Caramel-Glazed Apple Spice Bread

Ingredients:

Bread
1-1/2 cups shredded peeled baking apples (2 large)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Glaze
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8×4-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray or shortening.

2) In large bowl, stir together apples, 1 cup brown sugar, the buttermilk, oil and eggs. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into into apple mixture just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into pans.

3) Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on cooling rack. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top sides up on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4) Meanwhile, place butter in a 1-quart suacepan and melt over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat to low. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

5) Gradually stir powdered sugar into glaze mixture. Place saucepan of glaze in bowl of cold water. Beat with spoon until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. If glaze becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, or heat over low heat, stirring constantly. Drizzle glaze over loaves. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days. Yield: 2 loaves or 16 servings.

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