Praline-Apple Bread

Sour cream is the secret to the rich, moist texture of this bread. There's no butter or oil in the batter - only in the glaze!

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (about 3/4 lb)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

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

Note: To freeze bread, cool bread completely; wrap in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil.
Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.