Apple Carrot Bread

Apple Carrot Bread

The second wave of apples is ripening at my house. These are the heirloom variety, Pound Sweet, which live up to their name. The apples can weigh as much as a pound each, and the fruit is exceptionally juicy and sweet. The only downside is that these apples don't have that little bit of tart (malic acid) that characterizes the best eating and cooking apples.

Pound Sweet apples (and Golden Delicious, which shares a lot of the genetics) are very good for baking. They don't get mushy, and their size means that it doesn't require peeling and coring a lot of apples to have enough material for a recipe.  And since daytime temperatures have dropped from the high 80s to the mid-70s, I decided today was a good day to bake some loaves of apple carrot bread.

Is it bread, or is it cake? That's a difficult question. It doesn't require cake flour, but the texture and flavor are cake-like. It really doesn't matter, though, unless you are prejudiced against eating a piece of cake for breakfast.

NOTE: The flavoring I used in this is called Princess Cake and Cookie emulsion. This is a thick liquid that has a slightly floral flavor that combines vanilla and citrus. It can be purchased through Lorann Oils, or on Amazon.com.

Apple Carrot Bread

3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter (no substitutes)
1/2 c. solid vegetable shortening
2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. Princess Cake and Cookie emulsion (or substitute 3/4 tsp. vanilla and 1/4 tsp. lemon extract)
3 eggs
1 c. shredded carrots
1 c. grated peeled apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9 x 5 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.

In medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and shortening on high. Pour into bowl of stand mixer. Add granulated sugar and Princess Cake and Cookie emulsion. Using flexible blade, cream together until sugar is dissolved in shortening.

Alternate addition of eggs, grated apples and carrots and dry ingredients on low speed. After all ingredients are folded together, increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.

Pour batter evenly into 2 prepared loaf pans. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean and bread begins to separate from sides of pan. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack.

If desired, frost with cream cheese icing or drizzle loaf with confectioner's icing. Because the fruit in the bread keeps it very moist, it is prone to molding if left at room temperature. Store in airtight container(s) in refrigerator, or freeze for future use.

Apple Pandowdy

Dutchess of Oldenburg apples are an early ripening heirloom variety

Apple Pandowdy

I grow heirloom apples. One variety that ripens very early is the Dutchess of Oldenburg. This particular apple is the size of a crabapple, but it has the genetics of a MacIntosh. So even though it requires harvesting, peeling and coring a large number of the apples to make anything, the end result is well worth the effort.

Because the apple variety is several hundred years old, I decided that it was best used in a traditional American recipe, using traditional American tools. Apple pandowdy baked in a cast iron skillet was the logical - and tasty - conclusion.

What is a pandowdy? It's basically a one-crust pie. The filling is heaped into the skillet, and pie pastry is latticed over the top. When the pandowdy is scooped out, the flaky crust mixes into the filling, absorbing all of the spicy and fragrant juice. Because apples are high in pectin, you don't need to add any thickening agents such as corn starch or Clear-Gel. However, if you like a really firm filling, you are free to do so.

You don't need a cast iron skillet for this recipe. If you have a traditional casserole dish (or if you sprang for one of those Copper Chef square pans) you can use these deep dishes to make your pandowdy. The beauty of cast iron is that it distributes heat evenly so your filling and crust aren't overbaked in one area and undercooked in another.

Pandowdy baked in a cast iron skillet

Pastry:

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. vegetable shortening

2 - 3 tbsp. ice water

Filling:

1 gallon (8 cups) apple slices

3/4 c. light brown sugar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

To make pastry: whisk together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, add shortening one tablespoon at a time, cutting in thoroughly until mixture resembles small pebbles. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, and blend until dough holds together. Remove pastry from bowl, shape into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before rolling out.

While your pastry chills, prepare the apple filling. Place sliced apples in large bowl and add lemon juice. In small bowl, mix together brown sugar, spices and salt. Add to apples; use a wooden spoon to stir and coat apples with sugar, spices and lemon juice.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a deep casserole dish or a seasoned cast iron skillet with nonstick spray. Add apples to skillet; heap excess in the middle to avoid having the filling spill over the edges.

Remove pastry from refrigerator, unwrap, place on lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/8" thick. Cut into strips 1/2" wide; create a lattice over the top of the filling.

Bake the pandowdy for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is a golden brown.