WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday} Praline Apple Bread

Love this recipe from Southern Living!  

This is one of the BEST breads I've ever made or eaten!  

It's more of a dessert...a moist, tasty pound cake! 

INGREDIENTS

•  1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
• 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream 
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon 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

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.
2. 2. Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.
3. 3. 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-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.
4. 4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes 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.
5. 5. Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hour).
6. Note: To freeze, cool bread completely; wrap in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.