Stan's Fruit Bread

When I saw this recipe for banana bread with 3 of my favorite ingredients, maraschino cherries, chocolate chips and nuts in the “Library of Family Favorites” I had to try it.  There weren’t very good instructions, but I found a similar recipe and used those instructions.  I also didn’t have any soup cans, as I usually can my own soups, so I used some small bread pans instead.  Test with a toothpick after 25-30 minutes, mine took 30 minutes.  We liked the little slices for coffee time, and the loaves are a nice size to share.

This recipe was perfect, moist, fine grained, and delicious.  It is even better after wrapping in foil and refrigerating overnight, as are most nut breads.  The only thing I will do differently is make it more often.

                          Stan's Fruit Bread

     ½      cup butter

  2          large eggs

  1          cup sugar

  1          cup banana -- mashed

  2          cups flour, all-purpose -- (9 ounces)

  1          teaspoon soda

     ¼       cup maraschino cherries -- chopped

     ¼       cup chocolate chips

     ¼       cup nuts -- chopped

Mash or puree bananas, set aside.  Cream butter, sugar and eggs together.  Sift flour and soda together.  Add flour and soda mixture alternately with pureed bananas to creamed mixture.  Add remaining ingredients.  Pour into well-greased 303 (tomato soup) cans.

Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes.

I used 3 x 5" bread pans - about 13 1/2 ounces batter in each.  I baked mine about 30 minutes.  It made 48 small slices.

2011 Cost:  $5.75 for recipe or $1.44 per loaf

Contributed by Dorothy Mich