Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Cherry Chip Loaf

Cake.....bread.....I don't care what you call it, it's DELICIOUS!!!
I was watching 12 Dates of Christmas the other night on ABCFamily(corny, but cute), and this lady made these cherry chip loaves for her neighbors. I decided this sounded good and I wanted to try it out for myself. I browsed a few recipes online and found a couple that were pretty close to what I wanted, so I adapted my own version from those. This is perfect for the holidays!


***OK, I should have split the batter between a couple pans, or used one of my bigger loaf pans. Instead, I filled it too much and wound up with this bulbous thing, but it still tastes fantastic and that's all that matters! ;-) It just had to bake for an eternity to cook through. Next time, I'll pour just the right amount in the pan. Lesson learned.


YUM!!


Anyhow...here's what you need...

Cherry Chip Loaf

Ingredients:
- 2 sticks butter, softened (I used unsalted)
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs (or the equivalent amount of egg beaters)
- 1-2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda(not pictured)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
- 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips (according to your chocolate preference)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and continue to mix.
2. Add mashed bananas and vanilla extract and mix until well incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda.
4. Add dry mixture into butter mixture, a little at a time, and mix until completely incorporated. 
5. Fold in nuts, cherries, and chocolate chips. And add in extra if you feel so inclined.
6. Divide into 2 greased 9x5 loaf pans(or a few smaller ones), and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Test it by inserting a toothpick in the center.

It may come out a tad gooey looking in the middle, but will firm up as it cools, trust me.(it's cooked through, but the bananas, cherries, and eggs make it very moist) You can always take it down to just 1 egg if you'd like.

 The hubby and I absolutely LOVE this and I won't tell you how much is already gone. :)
It was really good while it was still warm, but it's even better the next morning with coffee for breakfast!!

It has some of that great banana bread flavor, but the cherries and chocolate chips really make it special. And it's super moist. I really hate that word, don't you? 


I hope you try it out and like it as much as we do!! You might even decide it makes a great last minute gift for friends, family, or coworkers. :)


14 comments:

  1. My girlfriend and I saw this movie the day it aired, and immediately after i started looking for a recipe online for cherry chip loaf, but to no avail. Now that its been out awhile I've seen several choices, but believe yours is the one for me to try. Thank you for posting this wonderful sounding recipe, I'm hoping to make it soon, but have one inquiry. Do you put the honey in like she did for her secret touch?

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  2. I just spent an hour looking for this recipe! My daughter and I made it last year after watching the movie. This recipe is so good! We are making loaves of it to bring to the staff where my mother is living (assisted living). And for my mom of course. Thank you for brightening up our holidays with this easy delicious recipe!

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  3. I was inspired to make this from watching the movie too! Googled it and came to your blog. Thanks for sharing, I am off to try it

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  4. I was inspired to make this from watching the movie too! Googled it and came to your blog. Thanks for sharing, I am off to try it

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  5. I was inspired to make this from watching the movie too! Googled it and came to your blog. Thanks for sharing, I am off to try it

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  6. I was inspired to make this from watching the movie too! Googled it and came to your blog. Thanks for sharing, I am off to try it

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  7. I was inspired to make this from watching the movie too! Googled it and came to your blog. Thanks for sharing, I am off to try it

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  8. I was inspired to make this from watching the movie too! Googled it and came to your blog. Thanks for sharing, I am off to try it

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  9. I was inspired to make this from watching the movie too! Googled it and came to your blog. Thanks for sharing, I am off to try it

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  10. We watched this movie the other night and it sounded so good!! I can't wait to try your recipe and am glad you took the trouble to experiment and share it!!

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  11. This loaf recipe is amazing! Like most, I was brought to this site when I was searching for a recipe like the one in 12 Dates of Christmas. When the laof came out of the oven, it was alright, but as it settled and turned to room temperature all the flavors came together so well and became amazing. I followed the recipe, but added a couple of tablespoons of honey to give it a little something extra like she does in the movie!

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  12. NO HONEY!?!?!? That's the secret ingredient!

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  13. I was inspired to make this bread after watching "The 12 Dates of Christmas" too. Everyone loved it.

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  14. I was inspired to make this bread after watching "The 12 Dates of Christmas" too. Everyone loved it.

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