Praline. Apple. Bread. Oh My!

I . . . am in love. Fear not though Buppy, it's not with another man. It's with Praline Apple Bread. This stuff is so addicting, yummy, delicious, fantastic and blog worthy I can hardly contain myself! I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started the recipe, but the end results surpassed anything I could have hoped for. The bread has such great apple flavor, stayed very moist and the glaze is . . . oh the glaze! I could eat that with a spoon! I'll delay you no more in your quest for the best apple bread ever. Debbie, bless your heart! (This first picture is of the bread right out of the oven, before the glaze is added. The second picture is of it glazed.)

Praline-Apple Bread
(Southern Living, Sept. 2009; Debbie Grusska, Hobart, IN)

1 ½ c. chopped pecans, divided
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ c. finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (about ¾ lb.)
½ c. butter
½ firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake ½ c. pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6-8 min. or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 min. Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 min. or until blended. Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in apples and ½ c. toasted pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9x5 loaf pan.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 c. chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter. Bake at 350F for 1 hr. to 1 hr. and 5 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Shield with aluminum foil after 50 min. to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 min.; remove from pan to wire rack.
Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 min. Remove from heat and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hr.). Enjoy!

I'm linking this recipe up to Life as Mom's Ultimate Recipe Swap (baked goods). Check here for other fab baked good recipes!