Fruit & Nut Brown Bread

A moist and flavorful quick bread I adapted from a recipe I found in the newspaper. Excellent served with cream cheese. You'll need: 6 (15 ounce) empty clean vegetable or fruit cans

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 6 mini loaves

Ingredients

• 6  ounces  chopped dried cherries
• 2  teaspoons baking soda
• 2  cups boiling water
• 1  cup  Splenda brown sugar blend
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  tablespoon molasses
• 1⁄2 cup shortening
• 2  eggs
• 4  cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1  cup  chopped walnuts
• 1  cup golden raisin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F Grease the insides of cans well.
2. Combine chopped cherries and baking soda in a bowl. Pour in boiling water and let stand 5 minutes.
3. Combine sugar, shortening and eggs in a large bowl. Using a mixer, beat at medium-high speed until creamy. Add salt, molasses, the cherry mixture and flour and stir until well blended. Add nuts and raisins; mix well.
4. Fill cans about two-thirds full with batter. Bake about 1 hour, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in cans on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove bread from can and place on wire rack to cook completely.