Apricot Banana Bread

Traditionally, banana nut bread is just that; a sweet quick bread that is made with ripened bananas and some kind of chopped nuts. For this recipe, chopped dried apricots and bran cereal have been incorporated to give the bread a different taste and added nutrition. These added ingredients make this bread a great addition to the breakfast menu, or as a healthy snack. This wonderfully moist and flavorful quick bread recipe comes from a Taste of Home cookbook. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 to 3 medium)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup 100% bran cereal (not flakes)
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; mix well.
2. Combine banana and buttermilk in a small bowl.
3. In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with banana mixture beginning and ending with flour.
4. Stir in bran, apricots and nuts.
5. Scrape into a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
7. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Yield: 14 slices
208 calories per slice
3 gms. fiber