Apple-Cinnamon Pull Apart Loaf

I came across this recipe on one of the many food blogs I follow.  

It was one of those times that I was inspired to step away from the computer and waltz directly into the kitchen to get to work on what I'd just seen.

This recipe uses Rhodes frozen dough balls (thawed), filled with an apple/brown sugar/cinnamon mixture, sealed like a happy little package, and tossed into a baking dish together.

YUM.

I didn't have any Rhodes bread on hand, so I made my own dough balls using this dough recipe.  (I halved the recipe, and I had enough dough to make two of these pull-apart loaves.)

Here's what to do:

Combine Granny Smith apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and the juice and zest from half a lemon.

 Cut the dough balls in half.

 Flatten dough and add about a teaspoon of the apple mixture in the center.

 Fold up the edges and pinch together.

 Toss it in a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.

Repeat. 

 Mmmmmmm.

 Sprinkle with remaining apple/pecan mixture, loosely cover with greased plastic wrap, and let it rise until double (about an hour).

 Preheat oven.

 And bake for about 40-45 minutes.

 Can you even imagine how wonderful this smells?

 Pour the icing mixture over while bread is still warm.

Comfort food to the max.

Enjoy!

The printable recipe lives here.

Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Apart Loaf
Makes 1 loaf

16 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed (or use your own dough recipe)
3 medium size Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Zest and juice from half a lemon (about 2 teaspoons of juice)

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring

Cut thawed rolls in half. Combine apples, sugar, nuts, cinnamon, and lemon juice and zest. Flatten each roll half into a 2-3-inch circle. Place 1 teaspoon apple mixture in center of each dough circle. Pinch edges together to seal, forming a ball. Place filled balls in a sprayed 9x5-inch loaf pan. Spoon remaining apple mixture evenly over the top. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until double. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 40-45 minutes. Cover with foil last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over browning. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool. Combine icing ingredients and drizzle over loaf.

Recipe slightly modified from here. -