Autumn Pumpkin Apple Bread

I made this today and have had one slice and it's delicious! Except for having to pare, core and chop 2 Granny Smith apples it's really fast and easy.

For Topping:
1 tbs all-purpose flour
5 tbs sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbs unsalted butter, softened

For Bread:
3 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tps ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3/4 c vegetable oil
2 1/4 c sugar
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 Granny damned Smith apples, peeled, cored and freaking chopped (2 cups)

MAKE THE TOPPING: Blend together flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.

MAKE THE BREAD: Preheat oven to 350. Butter 2 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice into a medium bowl.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Add flour mixture a bit at a time until well combined. Fold in apples.

Divide batter between buttered loaf pans. Sprinkle half of topping evenly over each loaf.

Bake until a wooden pick or cake tester comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool loaves in pans on a rack for 45 minutes then turn out onto rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.


I really love to bake and I haven't done it in so long. Seriously. I used to be known for my desserts. I have 3 sizes/shapes of cheesecake pans - two sets of mixing bowls - 2 sifters - a kitchenaid mixer that has been basically unused for 7 years. I need to get back to doing this thing I so love, even if I take it all in to the office so it's out of my house!

I purchased a Chirstmas-themed vinyl tablecloth for the kitchen table last week! It is so horribly wonderful and I can't wait to put it on the table. Also went to the cake art store and got the flavored oil I need to make some hard candy. I'll probably do hard candy in wintergreen, cinnamon, orange and lemon; some fudge; maybe some buttermints; most definitely gingerbread cookies! Will bake some orange-cranberry bread in mini-loaves and this will be my gift to neighbors and co-workers.

I have no earthly idea what has gotten into me. Between baking and cooking and on-line sudoku I fear I have become my own worst nightmare!