CARAMEL CHEESE APPLE BREAD

CARAMEL CHEESE APPLE BREAD adapted from The Cookie Rookie

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 60 minutes

CAKE
2 large baking apples, peeled & diced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup Malibu rum
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons QUALITY ground cinnamon
½ cup butter, softened + 2 tablespoons (divided)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 LARGE eggs
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
¼ cup whole milk
8 caramels, each cut into 8 equal pieces
1-2 tablespoon Turbinado sugar (raw, coarse sugar), optional

PREPARING APPLES

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease and flour a 10” x 5½” loaf pan.
  • Pour rum over raisins and let soak 10 minutes.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, add the two tablespoons butter, diced apples, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook 4-5 minutes or until apples have softened.
  • Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Drain raisins well and fold into apple mixture and set aside.

PREPARING BATTER**

  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In a separate large bowl, cream together ½ cup butter and 1-cup sugar.
  • Add eggs, one-at-a-time, beating just until egg yolk is no longer visible.
  • Mix in vanilla and milk.
  • Add dry ingredients in one cup increments, mixing just until flour is longer visible.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING**
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg
½ cup granulated sugar
Zest of one lemon

PREPARING CREAM CHEESE FILLING

  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, egg, sugar and the lemon zest, mixing until smooth.
  • Spread 1 cup cake batter in the bottom of the prepared pan.
  • Fold in the apple mixture and chopped caramels to the remaining batter.
  • Pour half of the remaining batter into the pan.
  • Spoon and spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter, and cover with the remaining cake batter.
  • Sprinkle the top of the bread with Turbinado sugar.
  • Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes. The bread is done when it no longer wiggles and springs back when gently pressed in the thickest part.
  • Transfer bread to a cooling rack and cool 15 minutes.
  • Remove bread from pan and allow to completely cool.

CARAMEL GLAZE
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts, optional

  • Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
  • Stir in brown sugar and cook until brown sugar melts.
  • Add salt and heavy cream. Cook (and stir) another 2 minutes.
  • Allow glaze to cool 5 minutes.
  • Drizzle glaze over cooled bread and sprinkle with honey roasted peanuts.

**NOTE: If you are in a hurry and want to make less of a mess you can combine the cake portion and cream cheese filling portion into the same batter as you are preparing them.  The results are just as delicious and less work.

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