Looking for a recipe so good that your family will beg you to make it again and again? Amanda Formaro has created a master mix for the treat that her family is crazy for.
Follow your nose to the kitchen
The marvelous smell of cinnamon baking in the oven is like no other. It's spicy-sweet aroma wafts
through your kitchen and through the rest of your house causing family members to come and ask
"Whatcha makin'?" Makes me smile just thinking about it.
This particular recipe smells so fantastic and tastes so good that the end result lasts less than two days in my house. If I make it in the afternoon, it's eaten after dinner, the next morning for breakfast, and then as an afternoon snack. My daughter is this treat's biggest fan, so I decided to turn it into a master mix, making things easier on the cook who has to make it so often!
Below you will find the original recipe for Applesauce Loaf, the master mix I created for those of us who appreciate such time savers, and an added bonus recipe for Cinnamon Butter that those with a sweet tooth will adore (the slice pictured here is smothered in Cinnamon Butter).
Applesauce Loaf
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour (not cooking spray) a loaf pan. In a large bowl with
spoon, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and mix well. Sift together dry
ingredients and gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir until well mixed and add applesauce and nuts.
Bake 50-60 minutes, top will crest and loaf will be dark golden brown.
Variation: To make a tasty "flat cake," reduce the amount of flour to 3/4 and make as directed. Delicious and moist, just flat!
Amanda's Applesauce Loaf Master Mix
Ingredients:
Directions:
In a very large bowl combine all dry ingredients and mix together well with a fork or whisk. Cut in
shortening with a pastry blender, or use two butter knives, scissor style. A wire whisk also works well
and is easier on the arm muscles than knives are. When shortening is completely cut in, mixture will have
a crumbly texture. Be sure to turn the mixture so that entire batch is mixed completely. Store in a tightly
covered container for up to four months. Makes enough for four loaves, approximately 13 1/2 cups. Feel free
to double this recipe if your family enjoys it as much as mine, but you will need two large mixing bowls.
To Prepare
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour (not cooking spray) a loaf pan. In a large bowl with spoon, mix together 3 1/3 cups of master mix with 2 eggs and 1 cup applesauce. Mix together thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup nuts if desired and mix thoroughly. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until top crests and loaf is a dark golden brown.
For muffins: Grease and flour muffin tins, or line with paper muffin cups. Fill tins 3/4 full and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until light golden brown.
As a Gift
This mix makes a wonderful gift. Use an ordinary jelly jar, washed and dried, a dried apple, two short cinnamon sticks, some raffia, and a bit of twisted paper to decorate the lid. Untwist the twisted paper and hot glue to the lid, trim excess. Glue cinnamon sticks together, crossing each other slightly, and tie with a bit of raffia. Glue sticks to the apple and glue the apple to the lid.
Using a print program such as Print Artist or Print Shop Deluxe, create a fun label for your gift jar with instructions for the master mix. Put 1/2 cup of chopped pecans in a sandwich bag and tie with raffia. Print out the Applesauce Loaf recipe or the master mix recipe on an index card and attach a small raffia bow to the upper left hand corner.
These make wonderful gifts for neighbors, family and friends. The gift jar you see pictured here was for my neighbor who was kind enough to loan me her loaf pans until I could buy a new one!
Lastly, here is the sweet butter I promised. I absolutely adore this butter, but it may be too sweet for some. If you enjoy rich sweetness as I do, this is for you! This is also marvelous on white toast.
Cinnamon Butter
Ingredients:
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Spread over warm or
cooled slice of Applesauce Loaf.
Enjoy!
Links, information and more for you
About the author: Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She and her husband live in southeastern Wisconsin. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine at http://familycorner.com from which she operates several free newsletters, including her favorite, In The Kitchen.
