Strawberry Banana Macadamia Bread

This great recipe by John Winkler of San Pedro, California, was a finalist in the 1997 California Strawberry Festival's Berry Off Cooking Contest.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 2⁄3 cup warm water
• 1⁄3 cup  mashed ripe banana
• 1⁄3 cup  mashed strawberry
• 2  tablespoons butter (melted and cooled to room temperature) or 2  tablespoons margarine (melted and cooled to room temperature)
• 2  egg whites
• 3 1⁄4 cups flour
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt
• 2 3⁄4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped  macadamia nuts (reserve 2 T for top)

Directions

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water; Mix in fruits, egg whites and butter; Sift together dry ingredients, stir in nuts; Mix dry ingredients into dough and mix and knead until smooth and elastic; Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
2. Punch dough down.
3. Preheat oven to 425° Grease and flour a 13x9x2 inch rectangular pan.
4. After dough cycle on the bread machine or after your dough has been through one rising if hand mixing, knead dough an additional 2-5 minutes and shape to fit in loaf pan.
5. Sprinkle the reserved 2 T nuts on top of bread.
6. Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
7. After baking, remove bread from pan and cool on a wire rack.