This bread was a surprise hit. It was made for absolutely no reason, other than to use up some ingredients in the kitchen. I had frozen bananas that were getting a bit too freezer-burnt, a Costco bag of Craisins that hadn’t been touched and just a handful of almonds that I couldn’t snack on anymore. So I browsed the web, found a workable recipe and whipped this up in no time. I had no expectations. It was moist and nut-crunchy with a perfect level of sweetness. The almonds really make this bread. It’d be a perfect easy Christmas morning snack to hold you over for your holiday feast!
Cranberry Banana Bread, adapted from Ocean Spray
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup milk (I used fat-free)
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
6-ounce package Craisins
Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 -inch loaf pan.
Mix sugar and butter together in a medium mixing bowl until completely blended. Add banana, milk and eggs, mixing well. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until moist. Stir in almonds and dried cranberries. Spread batter evenly in a loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool.