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Cinnamon Apple Bread

October 5, 2015 · by Ari · 3 Comments

Cinnamon Apple Bread — ultra soft and tender quick bread loaded with two layers of apple and cinnamon sugar make this the perfect, healthy fall treat.

So where you live it’s fall, yes? Scarves, hot drinks and all things pumpkin? We’ve had an unusually hot September, even for Phoenix. Like, 5 days ago it got to 110. In SEPTEMBER. It’s pretty disgusting. But in honor of finally seeing a forecast without triple digits and a peak of lows in the 60s, I felt like it was finally time to celebrate fall. With food, obviously. And apples because pumpkins are so trendy.

So we start out with a simple little quick bread that we load up with crazy amounts of chopped apples and cinnamon sugar. I always thought I didn’t like warm apples. I mean…I don’t. Like, just an apple cooked by itself? All soggy and wet? No thank you. But baked into bread? That is something I can get on board with!

The best part of this cinnamon apple bread is that the top layer of cinnamon sugar forms this perfect, cinnamon-y crust that is the perfect topping to the ultra soft bread. I kept finding myself going back for “just one more piece”.

Cinnamon Apple Bread

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 12

Cinnamon Apple Bread -- ultra soft and tender quick bread loaded with two layers of apple and cinnamon sugar make this the perfect, healthy fall treat.

Ingredients

For the cinnamon apples:

2 apples (any kind), peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cinnamon sugar:

½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the bread:

3 cupsgluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
4 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1¼ cups granulated sugar
4 eggs*
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened almond milk**

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Spray sides all around pan. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, gently toss all the cinnamon apple ingredients. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon for cinnamon sugar mixture. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together coconut oil, apple sauce and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time followed by vanilla. Stir in half the flour mixture, then milk, then remaining flour mixture until just combined.
Pour half of the bread mixture into prepared loaf pan. Top with half the apples. Lightly press the apples down into the batter. Evenly sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with second half of ingredients.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool completely before slicing and serving. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 5-7 days. If only keeping for 1-2 days, leave lid slightly ajar to preserve crisp cinnamon top.

Notes

*For vegan option, replace eggs with ¼ cup cornstarch and 1 cup almond milk.
**Can be subbed for buttermilk

Ridiculously Easy 4 Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Snack Mix

September 21, 2014 · by Ari · 21 Comments

This apple cinnamon snack mix comes together in seconds with just 4 ingredients and no cooking, chopping or prepping required! It’s also super addicting–put it out at your next party, and it will be gone in minutes!

I don’t know when I became 87 years old, but there is nothing I love more lately than a lazy Sunday. In fact, I won’t even make plans with people on Sunday anymore unless it involves them coming to my house, and even then, I’m ready for them to leave after an hour or two. It’s like I’m becoming an introvert, but only 1 day a week.

Also, have we discussed that my bedtime is approximately 8:30 pm? Three nights this week I was up past 10, and I was a zombie! I can’t do it. I seriously can’t wait for the weather to change so I can go back to getting up at some sort of normal hour, and then maybe I will only act 57 instead of 87. 😉

Anyway, this was the perfect recipe for a lazy Sunday. I literally had to do nothing but throw the ingredients in a bowl, and lightly toss it around. Then I spent a total of 10 minutes photographing it (again, WHO AM I??? I usually spend at least an hour), and left it out since my family was coming over for brunch. Ummm…it’s all gone. And I made a full on brunch. Even after eggs and waffles, they still kept reaching back into the bowl. It’s amazing how the simplest ideas can be the biggest crowd pleasers!

I have to admit, I was didn’t exactly get excited about this month’s theme of dehydrated foods for The Recipe ReDux. It’s just not something I really do, but I do loooove me some dried apple chips. In fact, I could snack on them all day long, so I threw this baby together in seconds, and it has instantly become a household favorite. Crunchy cinnamon almonds, Apple Cinnamon Chex (I’m obsessed with that stuff), pecans, apple chips and extra cinnamon–it’s the perfect, simple fall snack!

Ridiculously Easy 4 Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Snack Mix

Prep Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 1 minute

Yield: 2 cups

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

Ridiculously Easy 4 Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Snack Mix

This apple cinnamon snack mix comes together in seconds with just 4 ingredients and no cooking, chopping or prepping required! It's also super addicting--put it out at your next party, and it will be gone in minutes!

Ingredients

2 cups Apple Cinnamon Chex
1 cup dehydrated apple chips, broken into pieces
1/2 cup cinnamon roasted almonds
1/2 cup pecans (roasted or raw)
extra cinnamon, if desired

Instructions

Gently toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately. Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.

http://www.arismenu.com/apple-cinnamon-snack-mix/

Apple Cinnamon Puppy Chow

November 18, 2013 · by Ari · 20 Comments

Insanely addicting apple cinnamon puppy chow with crunchy apple chips–the perfectly sweet fall snack, and an awesome gift!

So we’ve established how I have the maturity of approximately a 6 year old. On a good day. Also, kind of the taste buds…minus my love for vegetables. I’m just a…n eccentric 6 year old. 😉

Ever since before I learned to cook, I LOVED baking around the holidays. I would make a huge batch of puppy chow and put it in everyone’s stocking. It was kinda my thing. Such a simple little treat, but people went crazy for it! I never even strayed from the simple original recipe either until last year. I made a batch with cookie butter and a batch with nutella. I can’t even go there. They were ridiculous.

But ya know what? I ended up falling equally in love with this batch! The apples bring a little tartness that cuts some of the super sweetness from the white chocolate and powdered sugar. Not to mention, apples + pb? It’s only the world’s greatest combo. Add a healthy (and I’m talking serious here, people) dose of cinnamon, and it’s kinda dreamy. In the way a little kid (AKA me) finds foods dreamy. The simplest no brainer foods that just bring you a happiness. Not like this girl’s bike apparently <—never gets old.

I have been obsessed with those Apple Cinnamon Chex for a good year now. I put them on my Greek yogurt every.single.day. and while I know they are just a half step up from fruit loops, I just love them, and I can’t go without them. It’s only fitting that they would be a part of this perfect puppy chow. And the best part? Puppy chow literally takes all of 10 minutes to make. Just make sure you have lots of friends to give it to, otherwise you will find yourself with a stomach ache, and those slight pangs of regret after you realize you just polished off the entire batch in 24 hours. 😉

Apple Cinnamon Puppy Chow

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: approx 12 cups

Apple Cinnamon Puppy Chow

Insanely addicting sweet cinnamon puppy chow with crunchy apple chips--the perfectly sweet fall snack, and an awesome gift!

Ingredients

2/3 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup white chocolate chips (or cinnamon chips, or butterscotch chips…)
1 tsp vanilla extract
9 cups Apple Cinnamon Chex cereal
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cinnamon
3 oz apple chips, roughly chopped

Instructions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine peanut butter, coconut oil and white chocolate chips until fully melted and combined, stirring constantly. Slowly fold in cereal, mixing gently until cereal is fully coated.
Transfer to a large trash bag or paper bag and pour in powdered sugar and cinnamon. For lack of a better term, shake the heck out of it! Just keep shaking it around (make sure the top is fully sealed! 😉 ) until everything has come together. Lay out to cool on parchment paper. Evenly sprinkle chopped apple chips in with cooling puppy chow. Store fully cooled in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

You can easily make this recipe vegan by using vegan white chocolate if desired.

http://www.arismenu.com/apple-cinnamon-puppy-chow/

Apple Cider Donuts with Molasses Dulce de Leche Glaze

October 9, 2013 · by Ari · 15 Comments

Soft and tender almond meal apple cider donuts stuffed with pieces of chopped apple and topped with a molasses dulce de leche glaze. Looking for more donuts? Check these out!

Have I ever told you about my honeycrisp problem? Like, Steve told me we were going to have to budget for them. If I had it my way, I would eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and every snack in between. Oh, and of course, in donuts. 😉

I don’t know what I’m more excited about–the donuts or the glaze. I loooove the texture of almond meal desserts, especially in donuts, but this glaze is truly unique and over-the-top delicious. They are a match made in heaven.

The donuts are ridiculously simple–one bowl, only a handful of ingredients, and just take a matter of minutes. The glaze takes a little bit more time, but you can make it while your donuts cook and and cool, and it times out perfectly. I love it when things work out perfectly like that. 😉

You guys are going to love these donuts. I took them to work so I wouldn’t eat all of them, and even still I kept sneaking in to grab one totally stealing them from all my friends. Whadda jerk, right? 😉

Apple Cider Donuts with Molasses Dulce de Leche Glaze

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen

Serving Size: 1 donut

Apple Cider Donuts with Molasses Dulce de Leche Glaze

Soft and tender apple cider almond meal donuts stuffed with chopped apple and topped with a molasses dulce de leche glaze

Ingredients

For the donuts:
3 cups almond meal
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup spiced apple cider
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 apple, chopped (preferably honeycrisp, but any will do)

For the Molasses Dulce de Leche Glaze:

1 can full fat coconut milk
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

Start with the donuts. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together almond meal, corn starch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar. Stir in apple cider and almond milk until combined.Stir in chopped apple.
Fill donut molds about 2/3 – 3/4 full. Bake for 12-16 minutes until golden and set. Cool completely in pans.
To make the glaze, combine coconut milk, molasses and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly until thick and syrupy, and volume is reduced by about 1/2, approx 30 minutes. Remove from heat and continue to stir for an other minute. Mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.
Glaze donuts immediately before serving. Leftover donuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Glaze can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

http://www.arismenu.com/apple-cider-donuts-molasses-dulce-de-leche-glaze/

Skinnified Sunday: Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins

October 28, 2012 · by Ari · 8 Comments

A couple of weeks ago after one of our Monday runs, we got back to Nicole put the most amazing muffin in my hands to send me off with. It was drool worthy, and let’s just say it didn’t even last my 3 mile drive home.

Good friends end runs with muffins. Just sayin’. Actually, I’m a little bit surprised that spending so much time with an other food blogger hasn’t caused both of us to gain 100 lbs. That girl is always giving me delicious things to try like these. So.much.food.

These were actually fairly healthy already, so it didn’t take much tweaking, but ya know what I learned? There is no substitute for butter in a crumb topping. Well, I’ve seen some people use coconut oil, but there is no “low fat” option. UNLESS YOU KNOW THE SECRET?!?!?! I tried light whipped butter–no dice. I tried pumpkin puree and ended up with a goopy mess, so I finally sucked it up and told myself that using 3 tbs for 1.5 dozen muffins was not the end of the world. So there. I used real butter. I actually couldn’t believe I had any in my house, but I dug in the back of the fridge, and there it was in all it’s butter glory.

Just call me Paula Dean, I guess. 😉

I was super happy that my muffins came out just as delicious as the original, and they were definitely my tean’s favorite. Chunks of apple in the middle with a crumbly cinnamon streusel top? You just can’t go wrong there!

Ya know, in case you wanted to be ALL UP IN THIS MUFFIN’S BUSINESS.

Original recipe via Foodie Misadventures

My Swaps:

White whole wheat flour for all purpose (+fiber, + protein)
Less sugar
Reduced fat buttermilk for regular (-fat, -calories)
Apple sauce for canola oil (-fat, -calories)
Liquid egg substitute for real egg (-fat, calories, -cholesterol)
1/2 streusel topping (-fat, -calories, -sugar) <—I made the all of it at first, but there was SO MUCH that I only ended up using about half

Skinnified Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins

yield 1 1/2 dozen

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice
1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large apples, peeled and diced (I used gala, but honey crisp would be AMAZING)

For the cinnamon crumb topping:

1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tbs white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tbs butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with 18 paper liners. Spray lightly with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and all-spice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, applesauce, egg substitute, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Do not over mix. Gently fold in the apples until just combined.
To make the crumb topping, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon (or your fingers…) until crumbly.
Fill the prepared muffin pans 3/4 full with batter. Evenly sprinkle each muffin with crumb topping. Bake for 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container.

Apple, Goat Cheese and Fig Stuffed Chicken

December 23, 2011 · by Ari · 2 Comments

I did it! I made up a dish. I didn’t look at anyone else’s recipe for inspiration (although I’m sure there are a million recipes out there like this one). I just thought about things I liked and put it together and it was so delicious! This dish is perfect for when you’re busy around the holidays and have been living entirely off cookies because there’s not a ton of prep time, it’s healthy and it looks much fancier than it actually is!

Apple, Goat Cheese and Fig Stuffed Chicken

yield 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts approx 6oz each
2 oz goat cheese
1/2 apple, thinly sliced (I used the amazingly delicious honey crisp, but any apple will be good!)
4 tbs fig butter
olive oil
freshly ground sea salt
freshly ground garlic pepper (I bought it at Whole Foods and it is so amazing!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Season chicken with salt and garlic pepper on both sides.
Butterfly the chicken, and stuff with 1/2 oz goat cheese, 2 apple slices and 1 tbs fig butter. Fold chicken back over.
Heat a pan on medium high and drizzle with a little olive oil (just enough to avoid sticking).
Sear chicken about 2-3 minutes on each side, then transfer to baking dish.
Baker for 40-50 minutes until cooked throughout and juices run clear. Let chicken rest out of oven about 2-3 minutes.