Fresh Fruit Bread

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup bran
• 3 medium ripe bananas
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp. grated lemon rind

Cream shortening and sugar; stir in bran.

Mash bananas and combine with egg; add alternately to sugar mixture with sifted dry ingredients.

Add sour cream and lemon rind; blend well.

Pour batter into a greased pan. Bake at 325 * for 50-60 minutes. Makes 1 loaf.

• 2 cups flour
• 2 l/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chunk peanut butter
• 1/2 cup mashed bananas
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 peeled, sliced bananas
• 2 tbsp. melted butter
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. grated orange rind

Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt.

Stir in sugar, peanut butter and mashed bananas.

Add eggs blended with milk. Mix well.

Put in greased loaf pan and bake at 350* for about 40 minutes.

Remove from oven. Arrange sliced bananas on top; pour on butter and sprinkle with combined remaining ingredients. Return to oven for 10 minutes. Makes 1 loaf.

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 c. chopped pecans
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 c. thawed, sliced, frozen strawberries

Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, oil, strawberries and pecans.

Stir just until all ingredients are moistened.

Spoon batter into well greased loaf pans.

Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool.

• 1 cup chopped, peeled and cored apples
• 1/2 cup seedless raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg, beaten

Combine apples, raisins and nuts with shortening and honey; beat well.

Sift flour with baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Combine buttermilk and egg and add alternately with flour mixture to fruit.

Bake in greased loaf pan at 325* for 1 hour. Leave in pan for 8 hours before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf. (Note: Batter may be baked in greased muffin tins at 400* for 20-25 minutes; remove from pan and cool on rack.)

• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup un-peeled grated apples
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 4 tsp. butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt

Mix first 11 ingredients in saucepan, bring to boil and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Let cool. Sift dry ingredients and add to mixture.

Bake in greased loaf pan at 350* for 1 hour or until bread leaves sides of pan. Cool on rack. Makes 1 loaf.

• 1 (16 oz.) can apricot halves
• 1/3 c. shortening
• 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. soda
• 3 1/4 flour (self rising)
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Drain apricots, reserving juice. Press fruit halves through sieve. Add enough reserved syrup or juice to make 1 cup; set aside.

Cream sugar and shortening together until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition

Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Add fruit halves. Stir just until all the ingredients are moistened. Stir in walnuts.

Spoon batter into well greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until bread test done. Remove from pan and cool.

• 3 c. sugar
• 2 c. mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 c. fresh orange juice
• 1 c. white raisins
• 1 c. wesson oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 1/2 c. sifted flour
• 1 c. chopped dates
• 2 cups pecans, cut fine

Put all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Add raisins, nuts and dates last.

Bake 1 hour at 350 in 4 well greased and floured 1 pound coffee cans.

Small loaf pans pay also be used if preferred, but coffee cans enable you to slice easily.

• 1/2 lb. dates
• 1-1/2 c. boiling water
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 2-3/4 c. flour
• 2 tsp. soda
• 1 Tbsp. melted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. nuts

Drop dates in boiling water, and then allow to cool. Combine sugar and eggs.

Add alternately the flour and water off the dates. To the last cup of flour, add the soda.

Then add melted butter, vanilla, nuts and dates. Bake in 350 oven for 1 hour.

(Using half white and half brown sugar will make the loaf more moist and help preserve it. This bread improves with age.) Freezes well.

• 2 c. pumpkin
• 1 c. oil
• 3 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/4 flour (self rising)
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt

Combine all the above ingredients well. Bake in 325 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. This is a very moist bread. Wrap in foil.

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 tbsp. grated lemon rind
• 3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Sift first 4 ingredients and cut in shortening.

Stir lemon rind, juice and egg into flour mixture.

Blend in cranberries and nuts. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 for about 1 hour

Cool; wrap in foil and do not slice for 8 hours. Makes 1 loaf.

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 3/4 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp. shortening
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder

Combine juices, dates and marmalade in pan and cook gently to heat, stirring; let cool. Cream shortening with sugar, beat in egg and add juice mixture.

Sift flour, salt and baking powder; stir in lightly. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350* for 1 hour. Makes 1 loaf.

Note: For muffins, half fill greased muffin tins; bake at 350* for 30-45 minutes. Makes 12.

• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tbsp. shortening
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 yeast, cake or dry
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries, cleaned and washed, or 2 cups canned berries, well-drained
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• l/2 tsp. cinnamon

Stir oats in 1 cup boiling water and cook over low heat until thickened; remove from heat. Stir in shortening, honey and egg; let cool.

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and add to oat mixture. Blend in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Add salt. Knead 10 minutes.

Let rise, covered, in a greased bowl for 1 hour. Punch down. Roll out to 10" square. Sprinkle surface with blueberries, pressing them into the dough. Roll up dough and tuck ends in to fit greased loaf pan.

Put into pan; cover and let rise 45 minutes. Bake at 375* for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle top with brown sugar mixed with cinnamon. Let cool before slicing. Makes 1 loaf.

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 l/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup dry nonfat milk
• l/2 cup molasses
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup bran
• 1 cup wheat germ, toasted in oven
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Put into greased loaf pan and bake at 325* for 50-60 minutes. Makes 1 loaf.

Raisin Nut Bread is excellent with a cup of hot coffee, any time of the day.