Apple Pull-Apart Bread with Vanilla Glaze

Why, hello there! Sorry I fell off the face of the blogging world for a few weeks - KK and I were on vacation! We spent 12 days in Italy and Portugal on an early 1st wedding anniversary trip, and it was phenomenal.  To kick off KK's first-ever trip to Italy, we flew into Rome and spent a few days exploring the typical tourist sites - Borghese Gallery, the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps.  After Rome, we setup base in Siena, rented a car, and tasted wines at various vineyards in Chianti, Montalcino, and Montepulciano.  We managed to pack 5 bottles in our luggage, so I'm looking forward to enjoying those over the next few weeks! Next up was Bologna where we ate like kings! We ate two gastronomic dining experiences where there was no set menu - the restaurant owners tell patrons what's on the menu each day, and they pair the wine for you.   Being the picky eater that I am, I was nervous at first, but both restaurants had plenty of options, and both KK and I were fully stuffed at the end of each night.  The final leg of our trip was in Lisbon (flights on TAP Portugal led us there), where we spent a few days walking up and down the seven (steep) hills of the city. We did a lot of walking in Lisbon, but also rested our feet while riding the historic Tram 28 across town.  All in all, it was a fantastic trip! Stay tuned for some pictures and more trip details later this week!

Now - going back a few weeks... I bet you can guess why I made this bread.  It was another way to use the apples we picked at Melick's Farm Stand! I used to bake somewhat regularly for my coworkers, but that's slowed down significantly as I've gotten more into cooking dinners, but I decided to treat them before I left for vacation.  I baked the bread at night, allowed it to cool completely in the pan, and covered the pan with tin foil overnight.  I decided that leaving the bread in the pan would make for easier commute since I had to carry it on my 1.2 mile walk and PATH ride.  I also mixed together the glaze ingredients at night, and stored it in spill-proof Tupperware.  I didn't pour the glaze onto the bread until it was time to serve it.  The loaf disappeared quickly, and my coworkers were surprised by how easy the recipe was! This bread would be heavenly if served warm, unfortunately that wasn't an option for me this time.  Nevertheless, I plan to make it again sometime soon (even if it's with a store-bought apple) because KK didn't get a chance to taste it! I urge you to try it because I know you won't be disappointed! 

Apple Pull Apart Bread with Vanilla Glaze
Adapted from The Comfort of Cooking

A quick shot at work with the glaze

Time: 45 minutes
Serves 6-8

Bread Ingredients
Cooking spray

⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg
16-oz. tube Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Biscuits
1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced

Vanilla Glaze Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
1 ½ Tbsp milk
¼ tsp vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line a standard loaf pan (bottom and sides) with parchment paper, and coat with cooking spray.

2. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a shallow dish and set aside.

3.  Slice or peel each biscuit in half, creating 16 rounds.  Coat each biscuit and apple slice with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Layer in the loaf pan, alternating between biscuit rounds and apple slices.  Begin and end the loaf with biscuit rounds.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until bread is fully baked.

5. For Vanilla Glaze: Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and drizzle over warm bread.