steal this recipe

Given the copyright flap the past few days in the food blogging community, (Really? Since when is extensively quoting without crediting the source anything other than plagiarism?) I feel I must tell you that this is *not* an original recipe. I’m not actually sure if there are any original recipes in the world today. The same way that there are really only 7 notes in music (and sharps and flats, ok, ok…) there are a finite number of viable ingredients, and a finite number of pleasing and happy combinations.

So, I stole this recipe. I don’t think I would have come up with this on my own, but I liked the sound of it and the photo on the blog where I saw it. And, it is apple season, or would be if I lived in New England or Pennsylvania or Washington state, somewhere where one could expect apple trees to be happy and ready for harvest.

I had to settle for store-bought well-traveled apples. I lost my one and only apple tree last year, and just haven’t had the heart to expect another one to fill its spot. I am going to stick to planting trees that can actually do well here in Texas, and regale you with early summer stories of peaches and figs. But I digress…

As I was saying, I stole this recipe. A friend told me about (thanks, V!) a good-enough-to-eat food blog. Retro Food is a venue for feel-good comfort food, day in the life food, whatever you choose to call it. It is approachable, and the recipes I’ve seen so far (I just heard about it recently) are appealing. So, I stole one.

I did rework the recipe a bit. I just can’t leave things alone. So, to make this easy for you I offer you the Retro Food version with my “edits” in parentheses. And, just fyi, the dark bits in the photo are apple peel, good and good-for-you!

Apple Cheese Bread (with thanks to Retro Food)

2 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 (just 1/2) tsp salt
(1 T ras el hanout *or* 2 tsp “pumpkin pie” spice + 1 t finely ground black pepper)
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar (1/2 cup)
2 eggs
(2 T milk)
1 cup unpeeled apple, ground (grated)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

dense and yummy

Sift (whisk) together flour, baking powder, baking soda, (spices) and salt.

(In a large bowl,) Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add (grated) apples, (milk) and (grated) cheese. (Mix very well to incorporate.) Add flour mixture, 1/3 at time, (mix) just until blended. Pour into greased (and floured) loaf pan. Bake 1 hour at 350. Cool slightly and turn out of pan. (Finish cooling on a rack, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature. This bread will keep several days, if there’s any left.)
***

This is an almost savory bread. The cheddar is subtle, and the apple lends sweetness. I served it with coffee for a breakfast along side a bowl of yogurt with bananas and pomegranate arils, and it was just right. I think it would do equally well as an afternoon snack or tea bread, maybe with cream cheese. It is a dense quick bread with a fairly fine “crumb” (no the two are not mutually exclusive), and is now on day three and still moist and flavorful. I don’t think it will make it to day four… I’m going to go have some as soon as I post this. MMmmmm…

I give you complete permission to steal this recipe, try it verbatim or rework it and make it your own. Just please let us know what you do to “customize” it and how it works for you, ok? Thanks and enjoy!

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