Recipe: Dried Cherry Banana Bread

Dried Cherry Banana Bread
Source: Cherry Marketing Institute
Makes 1 loaf, about 20 slices

1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups unsifted, all-purpose flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup mashed banana (about 3 medium)
1 cup dried tart cherries

Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed 3 to 4 minutes, or until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; add flour mixture and bananas alternately to butter mixture, beating just until ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix. Fold in dried cherries.

Pour batter into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 50 to 60 minutes, or until done. Let cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes, then remove from pan. Let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap to store. This bread is best served the day after baking.