It’s apple time again, can you believe it? I was really very lucky to have five apple trees in the garden that I had when I first made this Apple Bread. Armed with a tiny step ladder that I picked up from the outside of a house clearance, I’d head up the steps with my trug and twist the fruit from the branches. If the apple came away easily I knew it was ready to be picked and used.
My Apple Bread is so great for breakfast and if you make it I urge you try it in the morning. Cooled, spread with salted butter and eaten outside in the autumnal morning sun.
Allow it to set you up for the day, an undeniably sweet set up, but a set up none the less.
Apple Bread is lovely as a gift too. Take the loaf out of the tin to cool and then either wrap it up in greaseproof paper and then something prettier or wash the tin and put it back in to it for transporting to the one you love safely. Use some bakers twine to make it look prettier if you so wish and don’t forget to take some apples along too.
Apple Bread
Equipment
- 2lb Loaf Tin
Ingredients
- 100 g Unsalted Butter
- 100 g Caster Sugar
- 1 heaped tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 3 Eggs Large & Organic
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 250 g Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 dash Milk
- 2 large Cooking Apples Peeled & Chopped
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon Sugar (100g caster sugar, ½ tbsp ground cinnamon)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 170c/ 325f/ gas mark 3
- Peel and chop the apples in to small pieces and place in a bowl.
- Sprinkle 1 heaped tablespoon of the Cinnamon Sugar on to the apple and mix well. Set to one side.
- Meanwhile, cream together the butter, caster sugar and ground cinnamon until it becomes lighter in colour and almost fluffy in consistency.
- Gently beat in the eggs and the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour and the baking powder. Mix gently until thoroughly combined.
- Add the apple pieces along with all of the sugary juices and mix all of the ingredients together.
- Grease a loaf tin generously with butter and pour the mixture in.
- Place in the middle of the pre-heated oven and bake for approx 1 hour and ten mins or until it is golden brown on top, comes away cleanly from the side of the tin and reveals a clean knife when poked!
- Leave to cool on a wire rack and serve in slices with cold butter.
One of my favourite books at this time of year is The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill. I emailed Susan once, telling her how much I loved her book, and she wrote back. I think it may be time for the book to have another outing.
I gave the kids a wee piece of my Apple Bread yesterday, it’s fairly loaded with sugar, but they only had a bit. Nye wasn’t that fussed but Ned scoffed it. I’m enjoying seeing their differences come out and it’s interesting to observe the difference in their taste buds and eating habits. My daughter keeps her little eating area so neat and tidy. She puts bits of food back in her bowl if it falls out and has learned to dip food in to sauces. Ned, on the other hand, is very messy and likes nothing more than to tip whatever is left over down the front of his body and then look up in surprise and say “Oh”.
To which I respond with a loud sign or something a little more vocal depending on how tired I am at the time.
It doesn’t really matter though, he won’t be doing it when he’s twenty……………will he?
If you ever fancy taking some time out to bake this Apple Bread but don’t feel like you can fit it in to the incredibly busy life you have I urge you to consider something as normal or mundane as baking to be part of your self-care routine. I know that the terms ‘self-care, wellness and mental health are much more in use nowadays and some would think them bandied about to often. But I remember being totally overwhelmed when I first made this Apple Bread and I wish I’d taken 5 mins each day to have to myself. I think it would’ve made a lot of difference to a great many things had I done that sooner.
huge love, Cherry x
My diet does not thank you. (But I do!!!)
Yummy!
mmm. that looks fabulous and so totally on season.
sage advice Cherry. I said something similar last Christmas, that you just have to take out a bit of time for yourself sometimes. I try remind myself to do that each day.
have a lovely day. enjoy your bread. xx
đŸ™‚
Hi Cherry,
This looks lovely and I think I may try it this weekend. Do you use large eggs?
I’ve had four figs from our tree so far and have griddled them all with Halloumi and a tiny dash of olive oil and eaten with raw spinach, pecans and a squeeze of lemon – simple, but perfect.
Time for elevenses now I think, and then back to work.
Thanks as always for a little slice of sunshine in the day.
Bex.x
I will Definately be trying this as the weekend when hubby is home from his 2 week trip, delicious!
I know exactly what you mean, one of my twins has cerebral palsy and right now at this very moment in time my own resiliance is being tested to the limits. We are in the middle of toddler tantrums and well meaning advice from various therapists and educational experts that I just dont think I can take much more on board! Hubby cannot come home soon enough!
Take a deep breath, then carry on. xx
ooh this looks lovely
i have two apple trees in my garden ~ an ‘eater’ and a ‘cooker’ ~ I know where some of the ‘cookers’ are going!
thank you for this and all your so-inspiring posts
posy xx
Sage advice and couldn’t be more appropriate. I’d forgotten how vital it is to recharge one’s self. Apple cake is very popular here. I like the idea of Apple Bread very much.
Oooh now I know what I’m making when I’m off work tomorrow & have my baking head on…it looks & sounds heavenly!
Take care of yourself & your tribe x
What a lovely, simple recipe! The Apple Beauties on my counter from the mountains of North Carolina will be turned into this bread before noon today.
And Cherry, when I was in a similar situation, one of the things that helped me re-center myself in only one hour was to go and have lunch by myself, with food that I loved (but my family didn’t), and a book of fiction or a magazine that would distract my mind from thinking about “rational” things. Then I could spend the last 5 – 10 minutes of my getaway time in a more centered frame of mind, and was inevitably able to grin with glee inside at the opportunities I was being given, while presenting the calm, orderly and strong person outside that everyone else needed. Hope this helps!
What wonderful advice and just what’s needed by several people I know at the moment, myself included, my dear pa has cancer and whilst it’s not bad, he looks so drawn and pale which in turn has made me feel stressed (and when I get stressed I get into a tizzy) so will be heeding your advice, after work I’ll mostly be sitting down and relaxing and then think about making the cake!
As ever you are a star!
Hi Cherry
Yet again a beautiful and thoughtful post. I think being in touch with the seasons can really help you at times like this. Stopping as you said is such a good healer and of course we all know baking mends the soul!
Emx
Thank you Cherie, just what I need. Am drowning in apples at the moment and looking for new ways to feed them to the children without a chorus of ‘Apples again Mummy?!’
So poignantly said Cherry—we all through dark days and tough days….some of them last for months or years and we must remember to care for our own souls so we can be there for others, too…..
The bread sounds wonderful…..
Blessings from so far away….
XOXO
Joann
I totally agree with you. Everyday after taking all my teenagers to school I go swimming. I swim for an hour and a half everyday. That is my own space and it´s so relaxing (of course it is also very tough!) the sound of the water, the movement, my own breathing, etc. When I return home and after drinking my coffee I start the day to do all the house work, meals, laundry etc, etc.
It´s so important that I take time for me, after that I can be very productive all day long and being with a very nice mood!!!!
Author
I loved hearing about your day. Made me feel like going for a long swim. Cx
Oooh yum… we’re in chutney mode right now with all our tomatoes and veggies so may be a little slow in trying this recipe, but try it we will!
I love your last little thoughts. We’ve had such a rough year with my pregnancy and right now I am on regular monitoring until my induction on Sunday because of yet another pregnancy complication (can you believe I am on 5 different prescriptions all because my body does not like being pregnant!) With my husband in Grantham so he can work up to the weekend and me at my parents in Lincoln so I am close to the hospital for the monitoring, it is a stressful time but I am trying hard to stay relaxed because I know that it’s going to be hard to recover from the past 9 months whilst trying to provide for a newborn. So this week my life has revolved around sitting on the sofa watching far more tv than I ever have before whilst crocheting Christmas gifts. It really is so easy to feel overwhelmed and yet you’re right, these are the times when we really start to reflect on things. So thanks, as always, for sharing your thoughts with us xx
Lovely Cherry: You just have given me the most amazing advice ever. It is about life and how to live even when you ( I mean me) are in trouble. Your words today lighted me up.
Thank you so much
Love
VerĂ³nica
Thought you’d like to know that my daughter (Tiffany Ashton Baker) in Nebraska USA is sharing your lovely recipe with all her friends đŸ™‚ She says it’s ‘yummy’!!!!
It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with those very difficult times in life. Times when others depend on you so much. There just doesn’t seem a moment when you can get away from it all. Such good advice to grab the free moments for yourself, even if something else has to be neglected for a short time.
You are such a great wife and mum. Your family must love you and be thankful for all you do.
You warm my heart,
Betty
The apple bread looks lovey. I think I will be making two tonight, one for the family and one for a friend I am visiting tomorrow as she is recovering from an operation on her broken neck!!!!
Your advice for taking things slow and having time for yourself is so true. Five years ago I lost my sister to breast cancer, two weeks after having her first baby. I think I spent the first two months just sat in the corner of my sofa. I didn’t cook, read, listen to music, nothing!! I got through the day by sorting the children out and that was about it. I slowly came out of it at my own pace and I now know that if I can come through that, I can come through anything!!! Life has a very strange way of showing us how strong we really are and puts everything else that we worry about into perspective. Love, family, health …. they’re the important things.
Love Marge
This looks very delicious! I will have to try it! We have 4 apple trees, so this will be a welcome recipe to use them in! I have been making jars of spiced apple jam, for christmas presents this year. Tastes Amazing on toast! x
Yum, yum, yum, & I so agree about taking time out for yourself!
This looks delicious – I can’t wait to try it!
I also swim as a glorious way to begin my day. It is a time of meditation for me. The exercise almost becomes a secondary benefit. Perhaps that is the pleasure of the body and soul in rhythmic motion together. I have been searching for a simple yet delicious apple bread, thanks for sharing for recipe.
Hi Cherry,
Just made a double batch and it is delicious, not going to last long in this house. Thanks for sharing.
x