Chocolate Cherry Bread

• Ready In: 10 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 2⁄3 cup dried cherries
• 1  cup sugar
• 6  tablespoons butter, softened
• 2  eggs
• 1⁄2 cup nonfat sour cream (I used low fat)
• 1  large  very ripe banana, mashed
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 6  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped pecans

Directions

1. Soak dried cherries in hot water 15 minutes; drain thoroughly.
2. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350º.
4. Beat sugar and butter together in bowl of electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 3 min.
5. Add eggs, one at a time; beat until smooth.
6. Beat in sour cream, banana and vanilla extract until well-blended, about 1 min.
7. Mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; add to banana mixture, beating on low speed until just mixed.
8. Fold in nuts and cherries.
9. Pour batter into greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
10. Bake 1 hour until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Cool in pan 10 minutes.
12. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.