Quick take: Make this Apple Calvados Quick Bread recipe and serve with a sweeter cider
Quick breads are an easy way to bake up something sweet or savory even if (like me) you’re not much of a baker. I like to make one for a weekend treat or as an easy – but thoughtful – hostess gift. I especially like playing around with creating quick bread recipes that incorporate a little booze. It’s an interesting way to work the flavour of different spirits or liqueurs into something besides a cocktail. It can also be a good way to use up those lingering bottles.
I created this recipe, inspired by travels through Normandy and weekends in le Perche and the lovely Calvados and cider made in the area by small-family run operations.
Apple Calvados Quick Bread
1.5 cups (180 or slightly less grams) whole wheat flour
¾ cups (150 grams) sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¼ cinnamon
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp Calvados
2 apples chopped (with stem and seeds removed)
Preheat the oven to 170°C (350°F).
While oven heats, butter a loaf pan and then lightly dust with flour.
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, spices, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
In a separate bigger bowl, combine oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and calvados.
Fold dry ingredients into the wet ones taking care not to overmix.
Gently stir in the apples.
Pour mix into baking pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 60 minutes in my oven, but I”ve had it finish as quickly as 50 minutes and as long as 1.5 hours. Check it often and remove it as soon as you get a clean toothpick and before the outside gets too dark/cooked).
Recommended Drink Pairing: Slightly sweet cider
Tips:
After the loaf cools somewhat but is still warm, I like to wrap it in plastic wrap. The loaf gets a little more moist. It also leaves the outside a little sticky rather than dry, which I also like. (there are different feelings on this, so skip this step if you want!)
Trust the toothpick test over the time for determining when it’s done. (My oven usually takes longer than recipe recommendations, so I monitor it closely towards the end. Weather, ovens, pans can all affect the time it takes for this to bake)
I usually use Gala apples. Granny Smith also can work (although they are slightly less sweet) Or play around with different apples to find your favorite combination of texture and taste.
You can freeze this bread. It loses some of the crumb quality, but this is a rustic-feeling, homemade quick bread and I don’t get too precious about it.
Serve it by the slice, warmed and topped with quality butter or vanilla ice cream for a dessert.
