Strawberry Bread With Nuts

Move over banana bread, here's a tasty fruit bread that will compete for top honors!

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen whole strawberries, thawed, drained
• 2  cups sugar
• 1 1⁄4 cups  vegetable oil
• 4  eggs
• 3  cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
• 3  teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  chopped  nuts

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F
2. Grease bottoms only of two 9x5- or 8x4-inch loaf pans with shortening; lightly flour.
3. Slightly mash strawberries; set aside.
4. In large bowl, mix sugar and oil.
5. Stir in eggs until well blended.
6. Stir in strawberries until well mixed.
7. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts just until moistened.
8. Stir in nuts.
9. Pour into pans.
10. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
11. Cool 10 minutes.
12. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans to wire rack.
13. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.
14. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.
15. **Cook time does not include cooling for 2 hours before slicing.