Banana-Apricot Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 3  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  cup  granulated sugar
• 2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 4  tablespoons  chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2  cup  chopped pecans
• 1/2  cup  chopped dried apricots
• 2  large, very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
• 1  cup  buttermilk
• 2  eggs, beaten

Preparation

Heat oven to 350º F. Lightly coat a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in the pecans and apricots. Stir in the bananas, buttermilk, and eggs until well blended. Pour into pan. Bake 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack.

VARIATIONS: Substitute 1/2 cup flaked coconut or any dried fruit (such as golden or brown raisins or dates) for the dried apricots.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

451 (0% from fat)

Fat:

13g (sat 5g)

Protein:

9mg

Carbohydrate:

77g

Fiber:

4g

Cholesterol:

69mg

Iron:

3mg

Sodium:

332mg

Calcium:

134mg