Amish Cinnamon Apple Bread

Apples, apples everywhere, I love visiting apple orchards.

It is apple season! Are you wondering how to use your extra apples? Apart from the Cider drinks and apple pies, this delicious Amish Cinnamon Apple Bread is a great way of using apples.

I love it because this recipe has more apples than flour, which translates to a few calories! 

Apples

A famous saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". The saying has lots of truth in it as apples are full of nutritional benefits. Here are some benefits I read on www.everydayhealth.com.

• Apples may lower blood pressure and reduce the amount of cholesterol in the body.

• Apples are packed with soluble and insoluble fibers. This makes them aid in digestion and may help keep you full longer. Apples may be the best snack when you are losing weight.

• Apples are rich in vitamin C, the immune-boosting vitamin. Eating apples may strengthen your immune system to build resistance against diseases.

Amish Pumpkin Bread Recipe: Click to Read.

Why an Amish Recipe?

I honestly love Amish recipes. They are simple to follow and call for ingredients that are probably in your pantry at any one time.

Do you know about the Amish, it's good to know a little about these people, the recipe hails from them you know…

The Amish are a conservative group of religious people that migrated from Europe. Their founding fathers faced severe persecution from the state and the main church.

This is because they opposed some teachings that were strongly believed by the ruling State and church.

Some fled to America where there was freedom of worship. They settled in various parts of America and continued to hold firmly to what their founding fathers believed in.

In some places they are referred to as 'plain people', rarely mingling with the outside world. They dress in plain simple colors, their women always wearing white bonnets and their men wide characteristic hats.

The Amish, especially those from strict sects, do not use modern conveniences such as vehicles, electricity, or phones.

They faithfully hand down their culture and traditions from one generation to another.

When you visit Amish country, you will enjoy a buggy ride through the beautiful Amish landscape.

You will not miss buying handcrafted vintage items the Amish are known to make. The tour will not be complete without a taste of their rich homemade tasting cuisine.

Most Amish are successful farmers and own large tracts of farming land.

Market days held on apple orchards are usually the best. Back in the day, apple picking would be our favorite family outdoor activity.

We would wheel the little wagons between the rows of apple trees and fill our baskets with fresh crispy granny smiths and honey crisps. 

When it is apple season, I delight in making all manner of dishes made with apples. My Amish grandma always mixed two varieties of apples to get a perfect blend of their flavors.

Granny smiths are bright green apples that have a distinct tangy and acidic taste, they are firm making them one of the best apple varieties for baking.

Honey Crisps are sweeter and firm in texture blending perfectly with the granny smith.

They will not mash up when baked in a dish be it pie or cake.

The cinnamon added introduces its woody and earthy taste enhancing the deliciousness of the Amish cinnamon apple bread.

The smell that wafts in the kitchen while this quick bread is baking is a beckoning call to everyone in the house.

It makes a perfect accompaniment for coffee during breakfast, it will stand out in your potlucks or picnics as well.

Amish Donuts Recipe. Click to Read.

How to make the Amish Cinnamon Apple Bread

Making this delicious bread takes a short time, I assure you that no baking skills are required.

It is leavened by baking powder and therefore requires no proofing time like yeast bread. Peel and chop the apples into small pieces, sprinkle with lemon juice, sugar, and half of the cinnamon, and set aside. 

 In a large mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.

Whisk until they are perfectly blended. In another mixing bowl use an electric hand-held mixer to beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and beat at high speed until smooth and creamy.

Sift in the dry ingredients and mix using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed.

Fold in the chopped apples and mix gently. Make the streusel topping by mixing the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and sugar.

Pour the batter into a greased loaf tin and sprinkle the streusel topping on the apple cinnamon bread.

Bake The bread in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick at the center to check readiness, the toothpick should come out clean.

Let the cake cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding from the loaf tin to the rack.

That is all it takes to make simple yet delicately flavored and textured quick bread.

Let us look at what you need to make the Amish Cinnamon Apple Bread.

All-purpose flour

All-purpose flour is good for the recipe. I have never tried substituting the ingredient. 

Apples

A blend of granny smiths and Honeycrisps will give a tasteful flavor to the Amish quick bread.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon has a rich earthy and woody flavor that compliments apples.

Baking powder

Baking powder contributes to the structure of the bread, it makes the bread light and airy. It is the leavening agent in this recipe, no proofing time is required making it a quick bread.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice adds a tangy acidic flavor to the apple bread, however, it is an optional ingredient.

Salt

Salt balances out all the other flavors in the batter.

Butter

Adds moisture to the cinnamon apple bread.

Milk

Milk contributes to the moisture in the quick bread batter. Milk enriches the bread with nutrients as well. You can substitute the milk with sour cream or buttermilk.

You will need the following equipment in this recipe.

Mixing bowls

Mixing bowls are used to mix wet and dry ingredients.

Electric handheld mixer

An electric handheld mixer creams butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

Rubber spatula

A rubber spatula is great for folding in the apples and scraping the sides of the bowl. 

Sieve

The sieve breaks down any lumps that are in the dry ingredients.

Loaf tin or any other baking tin

Loaf tins are good for this recipe coz your quick bread will have a similar shape to the regular loaf bread.

Wooden skewer or toothpick

A wooden skewer or toothpick is used to check the readiness of the Amish Cinnamon Apple Bread.

FAQ Amish Cinnamon Apple Bread

How can I keep my Amish cinnamon apple bread fresh?

This bread contains fresh fruit and therefore should not be left at room temperature.

In my house, we hardly have any leftovers of this exquisite apple delight. But in case you have some leftovers, wrap the bread with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator.

The flavors are trapped and the moisture is preserved. The Amish Cinnamon Apple bread can stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

Can I freeze my Amish Cinnamon Apple Bread?

Sure the apple bread can freeze easily.

It can stay in the freezer for 2 months. To freeze the bread, wrap it with plastic wrap then insert it into a freezer-friendly bag.

Also, check out: Amish Wheat Bread Recipe

Protips

Do not overmix your bread batter

When we overmix our dough, the gluten in the wheat will be activated. Over mixing makes the batter tough and rubbery.

This texture is the right texture for yeast bread, that is why you take your time kneading yeast breads.

Take your time to cream the sugar, butter, and eggs 

To make a light and airy cake, mix the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

If you can, beat the eggs separately then gently fold them into the creamed mixture.

This will result in a light airy cake packed with soft yet crunchy pieces of apples.

Enjoy this apple laden, perfect coffee cake.