Apple Butter Blueberry Bread

This sweet, slightly biscuit-like bread baked like an upside down cake with a syrupy nutty apple glaze was originally a slow cooker bread that I was experimenting on. Never having made bread in my slow cooker, it was worth a try. Then I realized after I was nearly finished preparing the batter that it would make a very thin bread in my oblong slow cooker, so I began thinking I would bake it like an upside down cake. I’m very happy with the results and would like to share this bread with you. With the holidays not far off, I think this would make a great breakfast bread for family and friends to enjoy.

With a plethora of apples picked while visiting family in Ohio, I have made my own apple butter and with the red peelings of the apples, an apple simple syrup which I hoped to use in a Fall cocktail, but decided to use it as a glaze for the bread. I think it gave a wonderful intensely flavored glaze for the bread, but feel free to substitute any flavored syrup such as maple syrup.

Apple Blueberry Bread
Serves 6-8

• 3/4 cup apple butter
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, or light brown sugar, packed
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chilled butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (to coat blueberries)
• 1/2 apple simple syrup (recipe follows), or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3/4 cup whole pecans, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together apple butter, half and half and turbinado or brown sugar.
2. In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. With a pastry blender, cut in the 1/4 cup butter until pieces are pea size. Add the apple butter mixture-stir until just combined. In a small bowl, coat the blueberries with the 1 tablespoon of flour. Fold the blueberries into the batter. The dough will be thick.
3. In an 8-inch cake pan at least 1-1/2 inched deep, pour in melted butter, drizzle in apple or maple syrup. Place the toasted pecans around the pan.
4. Pat the dough over the pan pressing down to completely cover the melted butter/syrup.
5. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Apple Simple Syrup
Recipe from Post Prohibition

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups turbinado sugar
• peelings from 5-6 red apples

1. Combine water, turbinado sugar and apple peelings in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Simmer 30-45 minutes. Strain into sterilized jars, add a jigger of vodka and keep refrigerated up to 3 weeks. Great for cocktails, too

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