St. Patrick's Day Menu Part 3: Apple Loaf

March 17, 2013

SmartCooks here. 

Having prepared the Irish Beef Stew and Irish Cheddar Soda Bread, how to finish the meal?  The answer was not perfect but drove off what was on hand -- apples.  

So, Apple Loaf crumbled over home-made aka Cusinart vanilla (me) or chocolate (others) ice cream rounded out the perfect mid-March St. Patrick's Day comfort meal.  

All three parts of the mid-March menu are blog- worthy!  And so much better than singing with the crowds at the Heart & Crown Irish Pub or dancing on the tables of the now defunct Molly Maguire's in the university years with the Charlotte Street roomie.

Enjoy! 

Apple Loaf 

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3 cups apples (peeled, cored, chopped, I used gala apples)
1 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray.

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, walnuts, and apples in a large bowl. Whisk oil, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.  Add to flour mixture and mix until just moistened. Divide mixture between loaf pans.

Bake in oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 90 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.