Tired of the doctor coming round? Make Applelicious Bread and keep her away.
It's apple season, which is reason enough to eat apples. But Dr. Steven Pratt offers another:
Even humble apples have been looking stellar in studies showing that they reduce the risk of asthma and may help prevent lung cancer. "There's a tremendous amount of good data on apples," he says. "It just somehow never gets to the public."
(In other news, it has been reported that an apple a day can keep the doctor away, but others say it's the lack of health insurance that's the problem. Form your own opinions.)
I'd bought a couple of huge Bramleys, and it turned out one was enough for this recipe. Maybe I'll use the other to make this. And then I'll buy some more and make KathyR.'s Apple Butter. And after that I'll take Anna's suggestion and pour myself a glass of port and slice a Egremont Russet.
Because next up is flu season.
Applelicious Bread
2 cups chopped apples
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
1 egg substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. Combine apples, pecans, and sugar and mix well. Add flour, soda, baking powder, spices, salt, and melted margarine; stir until combined. Add egg substitute and vanilla and mix just until combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for approximately one hour. (Check after 50 minutes for doneness, as not all loaf pans are made alike.)
Notes on ingredients: I used regular white flour, but whole wheat, or any combination thereof, would probably be even better. I used my usual flax seed and water egg substitute, heavy on the flax this time, hence the brownish color. (Baked goods tend to brown faster when flax is added, which means you may have to cover with foil halfway through the baking.) One large Bramley did the trick, but 2 Granny Smiths would probably be the equivalent.
