Wake and Bake: Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread

[Photograph: Carrie Vasios]

Taking home an absurd amount of apples always seems to be the unintended byproduct of going apple picking. It's kind of like wine tasting, where getting unreasonably drunk generally happens though you swore going in that you were just there to learn. It's incredible, really, how my family never anticipates the bags of apples we'll have after a trip to the orchard. After a leisurely day of strolling through the trees, stopping for some cider and doughnuts, and picking an apple here or there, we're suddenly lugging ten pounds of fruit to our car. That's when the recipe scheming begins, though we know perfectly well just what crisps, cakes, muffins, and strudels we want to make to use up our bounty.

I like the simplicity of baking with apples. I never tire of the old apple-cinnamon combination. I never wish my apple pie was topped with fondant or meringue. This quick bread exemplifies the beauty of apple baking. The bread is moist and cinnamon-y, with just a hint of ginger to round things out. It's not super sweet, but rather a mild breakfast bread that I'll eat plain or toasted with butter. (Or apple butter. With all these apples hanging around, you can bet I've got a batch on a stove.)

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Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread »