Foodie Friday Apple Bread

Every so often some of my co-workers and I have "bake-offs" Iron Chef style.  We pick one ingredient and then we each make a dish that is based on that ingredient.  This fall we had an apple bake-off.

This year's bake-off spread.

I made an apple tart from Pioneer Woman cooks and apple bread.  My coworkers never pick a winner for the bake-off... I think they are afraid we will not do it again if they hurt someone's feelings.  All that to say this week's recipe is the apple bread I made for the bake-off.

Apple Bread
-A Southern Living recipe

Ingredients:

-3-4 large apples (this should equal 3 cups finely chopped apples)
-2 cups sugar
-1 cup vegetable oil
-3 large eggs, lightly beaten
-2 tsp. vanilla
-3 cups all-purpose flour
-2 tsp. ground cinnamon
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)

Peel and finely chop enough apples to equal 3 cups.  Set aside.

Stir together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; add to sugar mixture, stirring just until blended (batter will be stiff.)  Fold in finely chopped apples and pecans.

Divide batter between two greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from pans, and cool on wire racks.

This bread is so yummy!!  It is great for this cool fall weather.  I know sometimes making bread can be a little scary... but this one is easy and fun!  The hardest part was peeling and cutting all the apples.