Gina's Strawberry Bread

from Sugar Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 10-12
• Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1  cup sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  strawberry flavoring (or vanilla or almond)
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  cups flour
• 1  cup  crushed or chopped strawberry (or a 10 oz. package of frozen strawberries, thawed and well drained, then chopped)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter. Mix with sugar and strawberry flavoring. Set aside and let cool.
3. Separate the eggs, reserving the whites for later. When the butter/sugar mixture is warm but not hot to the touch, add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring thoroughly after each addition.
4. Stir in the baking powder, soda and salt.
5. Stir in half the strawberries. Stir in half the flour. Add the second half of the strawberries, then the second half of the flour.
6. Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold them into the batter.
7. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line it with wax paper and spray it again.
8. Turn the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove from the loaf pan and continue to cool on the rack. Wait another 10 minutes or so before removing the wax paper.