This bread is called a “quick bread” with good reason. It’s about as simple as it gets. Little more than a bowl, a wooden spoon and a couple of apples, and you’re in business. I adapted this recipe from one that I found in The Wilson Farm Country Cookbook.

Ingredients:

1/2 C canola oil
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 apples, peeled and diced
1/2 C chopped walnuts
1/2 C raisins or chopped dates (optional)

Method:

1. Stir the oil and sugar until it’s well combined.
2. Add the eggs and continue stirring.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir well.
5. Stir in the nuts (and the raisins or dates if you’re using them.)
6. Bake in a well greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pan in a preheated 350 oven for approximately 60 minutes. Putting a strip of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan insures easy removal.

Note: This can certainly be done with a mixer instead of by hand.
Tip: Once the bread has cooled, I like to slice it and wrap it in plastic wrap and foil and freeze it. That way, you can take out a slice or two at a time as needed. It defrosts very quickly as an individual slice.