Soda Bread With Sweet, Spiced Apples

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   ["Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, slowly pour the buttermilk into the flour. Mix until a dry and ""shaggy"" dough forms. Let sit while you work on the apples.", "Peel and chop the apples, and mix with sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and a splash of water. Place in a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper over the apples and bake for 20 minutes.", "Remove the apples from the pan and toss in strainer to remove excess liquid. They will retain some liquid...it's ok. Let cool.", "Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.", "Go back to the dough. Mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and baking soda. Once the apples have cooled a bit, add them to the dough mixture. Adding the apples should be the key to giving your dough the right amount of moisture. If not, add a bit more buttermilk.", "Toss some flour onto a counter/chopping block, remove dough from bowl and place in the center. If the dough is too wet to remove cleanly from the bowl, add a bit more flour.", "Turn the dough a couple of times to form into a ball. Use a sharp knife to make an ""x"" on the top of the ball, going about a quarter inch deep. Brush the top of the dough with a light layer of heavy cream.", "Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes.", "Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees, and bake for approximately 20 more minutes. When the dough has risen completely and is turning light brown on the top, it's done.", "Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting.", "To serve: swirl a bit of honey into good butter for an extra touch of sweetness, or top with butter and apple butter!"]

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.