Trish Yanney's Praline Apple Bread

Praline Apple Bread

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided

1 (8 oz) container sour cream

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tbls vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

First,  preheat oven to 350.  Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.  Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.  Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients.  Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended.  Stir in apples and 1/2 cup toasted pecans.  Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.  Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1 qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hour).

To freeze, cool bread completely; wrap in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil  Freeze up to 3 months.  Thaw at room temperature.