Apple Ladder Loaf Recipes

SPICED APPLE BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Set pan aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add butter, sugar, eggs and oil and beat, using a hand mixer, until smooth. Lightly beat in diced apples.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt) and stir.
• Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the "wet" ingredients and use a rubber spatula to stir together. Stir until just combined and no flour streaks remain.
• Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Let bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn bread out onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
• Slice once cool, and serve.

APPLE PIE WITH LEAF LARD CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, lemon zest and juice, rum (if using), vanilla, cornstarch, nutmeg and salt. Macerate at room temperature for about 2 hours or, refrigerated, overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Dust a worktop and rolling pin with flour. Roll out one dough disk a little less than 1/4-inch thick, about 14 inches in diameter. Fold the dough in half and transfer it to a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Unfold. Press the dough into the corners, leaving the overhang. Refrigerate the first crust while you roll out the second disk of dough.
• Remove the bottom crust from the fridge and fill it with the macerated apples. Tuck the pats of cold butter beneath the top layer of fruit. Top with the second piece of dough, and trim both to a 1/2-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang into a roll and crimp the edge, pressing down to hook some of the dough over the edge of the dish. (You want to make a hard crimp because it will shrink as it cooks.) Cut a hole in the center of the pie, as well as some decorative vents.
• Brush the top of the pie with cream, dust it with sugar, and bake for 20 minutes.
• Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 45 to 55 minutes, until the center juices bubble and thicken, for a total of about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let the pie cool until it is just warm to the touch before slicing and serving.
• Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the lard and the butter, and cut them in with a pastry blender until the larger pieces are the size of peas and the mixture begins to clump on the pastry blender. Shuffle through the mixture with your hands, pinching chunks of lard to flatten them.
• Add 4 tablespoons of the ice water and mix with a fork. Pinch a clump of dough in your hands: If it feels moist and clumps together easily, it's probably hydrated enough. If it feels really crumbly, add another tablespoon or two of ice water until you can form a baseball-size clump of dough, packing it on as if you were making a snowball. You want to mix the dough as little as possible to ensure it stays tender.
• Divide the dough in half and form each half into a flat disk. Wrap both disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Thirty minutes before you're ready to roll out the dough, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature to soften.

DUTCH APPLE LOAF

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in apples and walnuts. Pour into a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan., For topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter. , Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

APPLE LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and nuts.
• In a large bowl, beat margarine, sugar and 1 egg until smooth. Beat in second egg, and stir in vanilla. Stir in shredded apples. Pour flour mixture into batter; stir just until moistened. Spread into prepared pan.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove from pan. Place on a rack to cool.

APPLE LADDER LOAF

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water.
• Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs and 2 cups flour.
• Beat on low speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours; punch dough down.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half.
• Roll each half into a 12-in. x 9-in. rectangle. Place each on a greased baking sheet. Spread with butter.
• For filling, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a large bowl;
• Add apples and toss to coat.
• Spread filling down center third of each rectangle.
• On each long side, cut 1-in. wide strips about 3 inches into center.
• Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling; seal ends.
• Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
• Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
• Combine icing ingredients until smooth; drizzle over warm loaves.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.

APPLE LADDER LOAF

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and 2 cups flour beat on low speed for 3 min. Stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn on a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Punch down. Refrigerate overnight.
• Punch dough down. Separate into 2 portions. Roll on floured surface. Place on greased baking sheet. Spread with 1/4 cup of butter. For the filling combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in large bowl. Add apples, toss to coat. Spoon down center third of each rectangle. On each long side, cut 1-in wide strips about 3-in into center on both sides. Start with one end and fold alternating strips at an angle across filling; seal engs. Cover and rise until nearly doubled about 50 min.
• Bake at 350°F for 30-40 min until golden brown. Remove pan to wire rack. Combine icing ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over the warm bread.