Orange Banana-Nut Bread

Orange rind and juice delicately flavor this bread. For a quick breakfast, spread toasted slices of this bread with reduced-fat cream cheese and top with thinly sliced strawberries, peaches, or kiwi.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 banana)
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange rind
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, rind, and juice; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in walnuts; spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf, 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice).

Calories: 178 (27% from fat); Fat 5.4g (sat 2.2g, mono 1.3g, poly 1.5g); Protein 3.1g; Carb 30.5g; Fiber 1.2g; Chol 34mg; Iron 1mg; Sodium 170mg; Calc 11mg

"Banana Appeal"
Article by Jean Patterson
Copyright 2003 by Cooking Light
Originally published in Cooking Light, September 2003