Sometimes you think of something brilliant the moment you put a bake in the oven and hope you’ll remember for next time. Adapting my lemon poppy seed sour cream quick bread to a version with apple pie spice and chopped pecans presented me with a liquid dilemma. I couldn’t use juice, like in the original recipe, so I went with milk instead. But the moment I closed the oven door, I thought that applesauce, or better yet grated apples, would have been a great choice instead.
Truth be told, although this bread is very tasty, texture-wise it’s a bit too dry for my liking. Next time, I’ll go with either applesauce or grated apples and see what happens. This is one of the many benefits of baking; you’re always learning something new.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons apple pie spice
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 3 teaspoons water
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan or spray with baking spray.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and apple pie spice in a large bowl; set aside. Combine sour cream, egg, vegetable oil, and milk in a medium bowl, mixing well.
Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture all at once, stirring to combine until no dry streaks remain. Stir in chopped pecans. Your batter will look a bit dry, but that’s normal.
Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, then cover with a foil tent and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the spice drizzle by combining powdered sugar, apple pie spice, and water in a small bowl. Pour over top of bread; allow to harden before storing.
Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days. Makes about 8 servings.
amy bakes in the 'burgh 