Monday, February 22, 2010

BANANA-CHERRY BREAD

I found this recipe on http://www.mixingbowl.com/ and it is a keeper for sure. Super moist banana bread, mixed with maraschino cherries and pecans. Hubby loves this toasted with butter!!

3 large overripe bananas
2 teaspoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (soft)
¾ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1½ cups self rising flour
4 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup chopped pecans (I used ½ cup)
½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
.
Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease and flour a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Mash bananas and stir in lemon juice. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until creamy. Beat in banana mixture and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the banana mixture, alternately with milk. Mix only until incorporated. Fold in nuts and chopped cherries.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake about one hour (my oven took 70 minutes) or until toothpick tests clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto rack.