After the holidays I discovered some forgotten cranberries at the bottom of my fridge. Looking over to the counter at some browning bananas, I immediately thought of my favourite loaf cake.

My husband calls this "casseroling" - combining leftovers of this and that he thinks should rather be thrown into the compost instead of a mixing bowl - but when I spy him later tonight wolfing down his third helping I'll have my smug satisfaction.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup mashed banana (2 large or 3 small)
1 1/4 cup chopped cranberries (fresh or frozen)

1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)

Combine butter, sugar and 1 egg in mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Beat in second egg. Stir in banana and cranberries.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to banana mixture and stir only to moisten.

Pour batter into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 45 minutes or until done. Let stand in pan for 10 minutes, and then carefully remove to a cooling rack.

Serve plain or with butter or cream cheese spread.


Yield: 1 loaf
Per serving (1 slice): 175 calories (approx)

This is an adaptation of a recipe I found in one of my older cookbooks. My version has a little less butter and sugar but more cranberries and spices. You can substitute the cranberries in this recipe for rhubarb or blueberries for a fun alternative.

In the past I have also added wheat germ and swapped part of the white flour portion for whole wheat flour. This yields a denser and heartier loaf than I prefer for this delicate taste profile, but still very doable.

Depending on your oven, you may need to adjust the baking time and/or temperature. I like to bake this just slightly underdone; the resting phase in the pan immediately after baking finishes the job and you want a moist cake-like texture.

If you make more than one loaf, wrap extra baking in air-tight freezer-safe packaging and freeze for up to 3 months.

Adapted from Company's Coming: Muffins & More