Apple bread (Kopie)

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A while ago, I was contacted about trying out and reviewing a new butter alternative spread called Melt Buttery Spread. I don’t usually do reviews, but this new spread caught my interest. It was free of the nasty stuff you usually see in fake butter spreads, and was made from a gluten free blend of non-hydrogenated healthy fats:

•organic virgin coconut oil
•organic flaxseed oil
•organic palm fruit oil
•organic canola oil
•organic high-oleic sunflower oil
Now, I like my butter – so I don’t usually seek out alternatives to this golden nectar from heaven. But like everything, too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing. So I decided to give it a try.

The company describes their spread as: “Rich & Creamy Melt® Organic, a butter alternative that is truly delicious. Melt® Organic is the perfect organic blend of the healthiest fats that supports healthy weight when replacing other fats in your daily diet. Each serving of Melt® Organic delivers an ideal combination of healthful saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fats for optimal nutrient content and absorption, weight management, thyroid function, heart health, and digestive health. Melt® Organic is certified organic and kosher, and is soy free, Trans fat free, and gluten free. Our products do not contain coloring agents or artificial ingredients of any kind and they never will. Our ingredients are Eco-social, fair trade, and non-GMO.”

I quickly received my sample and couldn’t wait to try it out. Upon opening the container, I was pleasantly surprised at the smooth, creamy consistency, and the mild coconut aroma. My first concern was it’s taste, I knew if it was too coconutty (is that word?) it wouldn’t fly in our house. But the taste was great. It did have a mild coconut flavor, but nothing that was over powering.

Since first trying the spread, I’ve buttered my toast with it, melted it in mac & cheese, sautéed vegetables with it, and the final test – I baked with it. I decided to use it melted, as a substitute for vegetable oil in an apple bread recipe. The result was fantastic. I couldn’t tell any difference, and I felt good knowing that the fat was all healthy.

Now I just wish I could say the fat on my body was all healthy. You can learn more about the healthy butter alternative and it’s ingredients on their website.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for doing this review, other than the product I received from sampling purposes.

Apple Bread
•3/4 cup brown sugar
•1/4 cup melted Melt buttery spread (or vegetable oil)
•zest of one lemon
•1 cup whole what pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
•1/2 tsp baking soda
•Pinch of salt
•3/4 cup buttermilk
•1-1/2 cups chopped apples
•1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Topping:

•1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
•1/4 cup flour
•2 tbsp butter (or Melt spread)
•1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
•2 tbsp brown sugar
In a medium sized bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil and lemon zest. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir in the apples. Combine the topping ingredients (the amounts are an estimate since I just threw together some ingredients to make a crumb topping). Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan, then sprinkle the topping on top. Bake for 50-60 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before trying to remove from the pan. Enjoy!

http://www.sprinkledwithflour.com/search/label/apple%20bread