Crispy Apple Bread EDITED

If you're anything like me, the thought of giving up bread for any amount of time instantly induces hot flashes and cold sweats. 

I love bread. Any kind. I think it started when I was young. My grandmother still makes her home-made yeast rolls and sourdough bread...and anytime I'm at her house, I go directly to her countertop where I know the warm, soft, freshly baked bread is waiting for me. 

And for those times, bless her heart, that I come unannounced, she always has bread stored in the freezer that is easily pulled out, thawed, and put into the oven with layers of butter. 

Sigh. 

Here's a recipe that I came up with one afternoon when I had eaten about 4 loaves of banana bread and was in the mood for something a little different.

Ingredients:

1/2 C Canola Oil

1 C sugar

2 room temperature eggs

1 C all-purpose Flour

1 C Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

several tsp. of cinnamon

2  apples, finely grated (You don't want these to be super tart or sweet. Fiji and Pink Ladies work pretty well. Granny Smith are a little too tart, and Red Delicious are too mushy)

sugar, cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar for the topping

How To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease one loaf pan

Combine the wet ingredients first: oil, eggs

Then combine the dry ingredients in another bowl: sugar, flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. You can mix these with a whisk or a hand mixer. 

Add in the grated apples and gently mix until completely combined. (Grate them on the largest setting...too small and you'll be making applesauce!)

Pour the batter into the loaf pan, and spread it to make it even on top

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, brown sugar, and some softened butter together by hand. It should be crumbly. 

Top the batter in the pan with the crumble mixture until it is covered (how much is up to you!)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Check on this. Just like the banana bread-if they are burning, turn the temp down!

Let it cool on a wire rack in the pan for about 5 minutes

Then pull it out of the pan and let it cool another 5 minutes or so

The Result:

This recipe makes smaller loaves than the banana bread, but are equally as tasty. The crumble on top adds a crispy-ness to the bread that the banana bread doesn't have. 

The insides are soft a gooey, while the outside maintains it's crunch. 

These are great to bake in the fall when the weather is beginning to turn cool. The scents of apples and cinnamon baking would make anyone feel relaxed and comfy. 

This is the perfect COMFORT food! Great for breakfast, snack, dessert...just like the banana bread, it's good any time :)