Banana Cranberry Bread

Banana Cranberry Bread is always a hit at our parties. You can make this recipe ahead of time. Wrap it in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. To serve, you can slice it up like regular bread and then cut those slices in half to make them a perfect finger food size.
Arrange the slices on a platter and place it in front of a bowl of Orange Spread.

Banana Cranberry Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup – coarsely chopped walnuts about 3 ounces.
1/2 cup – of dried cranberries. (Craisins)
1 1/4 cups – unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon – baking soda
1/2 teaspoon – cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon – salt
1 cup – sugar
2 large – eggs
1/2 cup – canola oil
3 – medium ripe bananas, mashed – 1 1/4 cups
1 teaspoon – pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
Spread the walnuts in a pie pan and toast in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes.
Watch them carefully or they will burn.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In another bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and oil and beat at high speed until light-colored and creamy.
Then add the mashed bananas and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Stir in the dry ingredients until thoroughly blended. Fold in the nuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.

Cooking Tip:

If you are using a dark colored loaf pan to cook in you should reduce the cooking temperature by 5 degrees. The darker color absorbs more heat and will cook the bottom and sides much faster than the center.

When I'm at a Chinese restaurant having a hard time with chopsticks, I always hope that there's a Chinese kid at an American restaurant somewhere who's struggling mightily with a fork. – Rick Budinich