Apple Bread

My family loves to pick apples in the Fall.  It's a much anticipated family outing, and every year we get more apples than the year before!  The children REALLY love apple muffins, but if I'm being totally honest with you, I detest greasing and then cleaning the muffin tins.  I was looking for an alternative, so I turned to my trusty "Joy of Cooking" cookbook.  Of course, the apple bread recipe had eggs, buttermilk, and nuts in the ingredient list, so I got to work doing what I love to do - taking a classic recipe, making it allergy friendly, and tweaking it until it's just right and no one suspects that it's dairy, egg, and peanut/tree nut free! 

One of the great things about this recipe is that I can FREEZE it!  (The "Freezer Diva" strikes again!)  So, I make several batches of bread over the course of a couple weeks, some to eat for breakfasts, and some to freeze!

By ingredients, this apple bread recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. It's also vegan! As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Steps marked with an asterisk (*) are child friendly!  

Click HERE for more information! 

Ingredients:
6 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (add more if you really want that apple pie taste!)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar (organic if you can)
6 Tablespoons oil (canola), 6 Tablespoons water, and 1                        Tablespoon baking powder - whisk together in a cup and add as      one ingredient (this is the egg substitute)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated apple (I peeled mine first)
2 cups flax milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. *Grease two loaf pans with vegetable shortening and set aside. 
3. *In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
4. *In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and sugar.
5. *Add the egg substitute to the creamed sugar/shortening, and mix until fully combined. 
6. *Add the grated apples and combine completely.
7. *Alternate adding the flour mixture and the flax milk to the mixer, making sure that each round is fulling incorporated before adding the next. 
8. *Divide the batter between the two pans, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
9. Allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes on wire racks, and then remove to the wire racks to cool completely. 
10. Slice and serve, (it's also great in the toaster), or wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil, label and freeze!  
11. Defrost bread on the counter 1 day before serving. 

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Photo Credit: Aidan Van Horn