How to do it: Fill mini loaf pans with the stir-together batter, full of applesauce and dried cherries. Add a yummy streusel topping and bake. Keep the loaves in the mini pans wrapped in cellophane for giving, or make our festive card-stock gift boxes.

Perfect for: Piano teacher, grandparents, aunts, and great-aunts.

Instructions for gift boxes: CLICK HERE to download gift box template. Trace template onto heavyweight paper. If you can't find heavyweight paper, adhere a decorative paper to a card stock paper with self-adhesive spray. Cut out pattern. Fold according to fold lines. At either end, punch one hole for the brad or two holes for ribbon. Place the brad through the hole or lace the ribbon through the two holes.

Apple-Cherry Pie Loaves
Make six stir-together loaves in less than 30 minutes. You can wrap and freeze them for up to one month. Present loaves as gifts in pretty paper loaf pans that you can make.

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. apple pie spice or ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/3 cups applesauce
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 cup chopped dried tart red cherries
1 recipe Streusel Topping (see below)

1. Grease the bottom and halfway up the sides of six 5 3/4x3x2-inch aluminum foil or metal loaf pans; set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in center; set aside. In a medium bowl beat eggs slightly with a whisk; whisk in brown sugar, applesauce, and cooking oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in the dried cherries.

3. Spoon the batter into prepared pans and spread evenly. Sprinkle Streusel Topping generously over batter. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean.