Applesauce oatmeal bread

Apples, apples, apples!  This time of year I'm always looking for new apple recipes. I recently made and canned some applesauce from the apples we picked and I had some leftover applesauce that didn't fit in a jar. Since we've been eating so many apples, I knew we probably wouldn't want to eat the applesauce right away, so I decided to use it in a quick bread before it went to waste. I loosely based it from a recipe at King Arthur Flour though I modified it quite a bit. 

The applesauce I made this year is so good - no need to add any sugar or other sweeteners. We picked all sorts of heritage apples this year like golden russets, pound sweet, Tollman sweet, snow (sign below), wolf river, and more. The flavors and textures of these heritage apples are so complex and they smell so good. I've been reading a lot about apples including the history and uses of different varieties in this great book lately - Apples of Uncommon Character: 123 Heirlooms, Modern Classics, & Little-known Varieties. I had no idea that there are so many varieties of apple and so many flavors! 

But back to the bread - this bread is very moist and fluffy and full of autumn spices. The touch of oatmeal gives it some extra texture and fiber. This recipe will make one 9-inch loaf of quick bread.

Applesauce oatmeal bread
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or more all-purpose)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups applesauce (mine was slightly chunky)
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons old-fashioned oats, divided
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Lightly butter a 9-inch loaf pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through nutmeg) in a medium bowl. Whisk together the sugars, eggs, butter, vanilla, and applesauce until well-combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until almost combined and then add the 1/2 cup oats and walnuts until just combined.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Top with the 2 teaspoons of oats and a sprinkling of extra cinnamon (about 1/8 teaspoon). 

Bake for approximately 55-65 minutes, until the top is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

What was I cooking one year ago?: apple & pork macaroni n' cheese
Two years ago?: German sweet & sour red cabbage
Three?: ginger-vanilla pear sauce
4?: pear, blue cheese, and arugula-stuffed chicken