Apple-Pie Bread

This delicious. “scrumptious” & easy bread makes a great breakfast-on-the-go with a cup of coffee. The fragrant spices & tender apple also make a healthy dessert. It is moist with a good apple flavour & the walnut topping is sweet and crunchy. Enjoy it warm from the oven with a pat of butter or cream cheese or keep it on your counter for a tasty treat during the week.

Ingredients
Baking spray with flour
⅔ cup white sugar
½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce (more for flavour)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
85g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter melted, divided
1 cup plain flour, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
¾ cup wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon bicarb
1 teaspoon apple pie spice (and more)
½ teaspoon salt
1 large Granny Smith apple, diced (1/4-inch; about 1 cup)
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 Tabs light brown sugar (or raw, muscovado)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large bowl, 1 medium bowl and 1 small bowl
9×5″ loaf pan

1.  Preheat oven to 160°C (FF). Coat pan with baking spray.

2.  Stir sugar, yogurt & eggs together in a large bowl until well combined. Add applesauce, vanilla and butter; stir well to combine and set aside.

3.  Whisk flours, bicarb, spice & salt in a medium bowl. Add apple & stir until pieces are evenly coated. Add the flour-apple mixt to egg mixt; stir til just combined. Spoon into prepared loaf pan.

4.  Combine walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon & remaining 1T each of melted butter & flour in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly on the batter in the pan.

5.  Bake until a wooden pick in centre comes out clean, 55-60 mins. Cool in pan for 10 mins.
Gently turn out onto a wire rack; let cool completely, about 1 hour.

TIPS:  It will keep, if well wrapped, at room temp up to 3 days or frozen for up to 4 months.

Mandarin macadamia and polenta cakes

makes 24

Ingredients

Mandarin icing
2 tablespoon mandarin juice, approximately

1. 
Place whole unpeeled mandarins in medium saucepan, cover with cold water; bring to the boil. Drain then repeat process twice. Cool mandarins to room temperature.
2.  Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line two 12-hole standard (⅓-cup/80ml) muffin pans with paper cases.
3.  Use butter that has been stored at room temperature.
4.  Blend or process nuts until finely chopped; place in small bowl. Halve mandarins; discard seeds. Blend or process mandarins until pulpy.
5.  Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Transfer mixture to large bowl; stir in polenta, baking powder, nuts and mandarin pulp. Divide mixture between paper cases.
6.  Bake cakes about 25 minutes. Stand 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.
7.  To make mandarin icing; sift icing sugar into small bowl, stir in butter and enough juice to make icing spreadable.
8.  Spread cold cakes with mandarin icing.