Apple Fritter Bread (from Lisa Wingate)

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope this post finds you in the throes of holiday fun and festivities… and plenty of good food! This week marked the official beginning of the annual round of Christmas parties in our neck of the woods. It’s probably true just about anywhere during holidays, but in Texas, it’s not a get-together if there’s not plenty of food involved. We all know that the calories don’t count from the day after Thanksgiving until the day after New Years (they don’t… right?), so anything goes. The only unwritten rule for holiday party baking is to bring something that will wow the crowd as you’re walking in, and leave an empty plate when you’re leaving.

Here’s a recipe that works, and it’s easy! This apple dumpling bread sprang from a peck of leftover apples and some dough from the freezer one night when I was looking for something interesting to make for the guys. Since then, it’s been a hit at holiday gatherings. It’s also good for breakfast, it’s delicious leftover (just put it in the refrigerator to store). You can make it ahead, then freeze it and bake it at a later time, if needed.

As far as calories go… ummm… it’s not the worst thing you could eat for dessert, and it does have apples in it. Apples are healthy, right?

Apple Fritter Bread:

Ingredients:

1 loaf frozen bread dough (thawed)
4 large apples (I like the firmer ones 1/2 Granny Smith and 1/2 Red Rome is good)
1/2 cup sugar
4T Butter
3T Milk
2T water
1T corn starch
2 tsp cinnamon
1T Vanilla
1 small bag powdered Sugar

Apple Fritter Bread Instructions:

Stewed Apple Filling

Peel, core, and slice up apples. In a small sauce pan, combine:

2 cups prox chopped apples
3T milk
2T water
1T butter
1/2 cup sugar (less or more depending on how sweet the apples are)
2tsp cinnamon (less or more depending on how spicy you want it)

Cover and simmer until apples are soft. Cooking time depends on the apples, but you do not want them crunchy. Mix 1tsp corn starch into a little water and add it to apples for the last minute or so of cooking to thicken the juice.

Fashion the Fritter

Flatten loaf of bread dough onto a greased cookie sheet (press out like an oblong pizza crust). Spoon apple filling onto crust. Fold dough over filling and pinch closed to create pocket. Brush pocket with melted butter (or use spray butter) and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 until golden brown.

Icing glaze

Combine in bowl:

1T melted butter
1T milk
1tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (begin with small amount, stir in, add more if needed, until mixture is thick enough to barely drizzle off spoon).

Finishing touch

Drizzle icing over dumpling and… oh, yum! Slice and serve and watch it disappear. Delicious served hot as is, with whipped cream, or with ice cream over the top. Keeps well in refrigerator and tastes great warmed up.