Cranberry-Banana-Almond Nut Bread

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I love to cook!  The only problem is that I am not very good at following directions when it comes to cooking.  I love to experiment and I love to do things a little different.

Today, I tried my hand at Banana Bread making.  I have only made banana bread twice in my whole life.  Not a real fan.  It always comes out too dry.  But my 7-year old son spotted a few very black bananas on the counter and joyfully said, "Let's make banana bread, Mom!!"  

I usually just chuck those into the garbage before anyone notices.

Whenever I have had banana bread I have had to slather it butter to put back some of the moisture lost in the baking.  So, if it were ever to be somewhat good for you I killed it with the ton of butter I "frosted" the slice with.

Well, with all that said, I knew I was going to have to make this loaf a lot differently.  And the first thing I did was use my own home-ground wheat flour.  And of course I had to add my son's secret ingredient, which adds so much moisture that you won't need all that butter.  At least I don't think you will.

Cranberry-Banana-Almond Nut Bread

• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/4 C soften butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1/2 C sour cream
• 2 1/4 C 100% whole wheat flour (use hard white if you can, makes bread not as heavy as with red)
• 1tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 C applesauce (my son's secret ingredient, shh don't tell him I told you)
• 1/2 C chopped almonds
• 1/2 C cranberries (I use the cran-strawberries from the bulk section from my local grocer.)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until nice and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time.  Blend them well with the butter sugar mixture.
4. Mash the bananas then add them by stirring them into the mixture, then do the same with the e sour cream.  Once that is all mixture put in the applesauce (the secret ingredient!!)
5. In another bowl sift together all the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon). NOTE: I sift to give the wheat flour a little lift.  Remember this is wheat flour so it is a little heavier then the white all-purpose flour.
6. After you have sifted your flour, add it to the wet mixture.  Kinda stirring/folding it in.  Then add the nuts and cranberries.
7. Spray a bread pan (I think mine is a 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5)
8. Pour your dough in the pan and back for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean.
9. Let the bread rest in the pan for about 10 minutes and then remove it from pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.

NOTE:  This bread can easily be done with regular white flour.  All the measurements and times stay the same.

If you make this wonderful bread, leave me a comment telling how you liked it.  And if you did it differently....tell me what you did.