Mother’s Day 2020. I’ve been craving apple fritters. Like the ones I get on Friday mornings at Shady Maple Bakery in our wonderful Central Market.

But alas, it’s still “stay-at-home” here in south central PA.

And I don’t deep-fry (it’s a choice, not an inability).

So I spent an hour cruising Pinterest for an apple-fritter recipe I could love, that my family would appreciate, and that would make a perfect Mother’s Day treat for my favorite mother—my wife, Ellen.

Apple fritters hold a very special place in my heart (there are a couple of different takes on apple fritters further on down this site), as a special southern cook from my childhood whipped up a batch in her cast-iron skillet every Sunday morning. Never had better fritters in my life, but the general desire for them is stamped into my DNA.

Okay, I know that for a seventy-something like me they are probably poison, but still…there isn’t much better on a Sunday morning than a still-warm apple (or as I grow older, blueberry) fritter. To be fair, I used almond milk instead of whole milk, Earth Balance instead of butter, and I skipped the glaze (the ingredients for which are in the recipe–mix them up and glaze the top of the bread–I won’t tell). But please feel free to make the full-rich version if you wish.

Still, the craving is strong, and with the current lock down I’m fast walking close to four miles a day (rationalization, I know, I know…).

So, how do I satisfy that craving, stay within my dietary lane, and make everyone in the house happy? I give you…

Country-style Apple Fritter Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 large apples any kind, peeled and diced small, but not fine
• 2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or butter substitute, softened
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup whole, almond, or soy milk, room temp
• For the glaze:
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 1-3 tablespoons milk, half-and-half, or cream, depending on thickness of glaze wanted. For more apple fritter-style—like apple fritter donuts—use more milk for a thinner glaze that you can pour over the whole loaf.

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 9×5-inch loaf pan and spray with non-stick spray or line with parchment and spray with non-stick spray to lift the bread out of the pan to cool.
• Mix 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl, and set aside.
• In another small bowl toss the apples with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
• Combine & whisk 1 & 1/2 cups flour and 1 & 3/4 teaspoons baking powder together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In large bowl, beat 2/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup softened butter together using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
• Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time until blended; add the vanilla extract and mix in.
• Add the flour mixture into creamed butter mixture and mix until blended.
• Mix 1/2 cup milk into batter and continue mixing until smooth.
• Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan; add half the chopped apple mixture.
• Sprinkle 1/2 of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture you set aside earlier, on top of apple layer.
• Pour the remaining batter over apple layer and top with remaining chopped apples, then sprinkle the remaining brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the top.
• Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using knife or spoon.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, approximately 60-70 minutes.
• To make glaze, mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 to 3 tablespoons milk or cream together until well mixed. (Place mixture in microwave for 10 seconds to make it easier to pour, if necessary).
• Let loaf rest in pan for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan; then let it cool completely (OR NOT!) on a cooling rack. Drizzle with glaze.
• If you want more glaze, make a double batch. 🙂