Apple Bread

Sometimes I get overloaded with apples in the fall and I am looking for ways to use them.  I like this bread from Just Fruit Recipes but I have to admit that I have doubled the crumb mixture on top because I am a little bit of a sugar addict (okay maybe a big sugar addict).  You can cut the crumb mixture back in half if you like the pure bread.

Apple Bread

1 C Butter
1 C sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 lg. eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 C flour
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 C apples, coarsely chopped, cored and peeled

Preheat oven to 375*F.  Cream butter and sugar together.  Dissolve baking soda in lemon juice. Mix in eggs and vanilla with the lemon juice mixture. Beat butter mixture and lemon juice mixture together.  Add flour and salt.  Mix until just combined. DO NOT OVER MIX. Gently fold in apples. Spoon 1/2 batter into large (9x5) loaf pan.  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the crumb mixture. Spoon in remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Press crumbs gently into surface of batter. Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool slightly in pan. Remove bread from pan and cool completely on cooling rack.

Crumb Mixture

2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1/4 cup butter, cold

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter until you get a coarse crumb texture.