Chocolate Chip and Cherry-Banana Bread

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups Gold MedalŪ all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup halved red and green candied cherries
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches, or 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, with shortening; lightly flour.

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well mixed. Beat in bananas, sour cream and eggs. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips, cherries and nuts. Pour into pan(s).

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (if bread becomes too brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil about 10 minutes before end of bake time). Cool 15 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan(s); remove from pan(s) to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft)
Use 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup butter. Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 9-inch loaf 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Bake 8-inch loaves 45 to 55 minutes.