Picture Day: Cherry Bread

A few weeks ago (I don't remember when exactly), Nick and I were going through our freezer and came across a bunch of cherries we had gotten in Door County in July. Nick said "Cherries, hmm. Maybe you should make something with these." So, I pulled out my Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook and took a look. It has so much more than strictly Christmas recipes in it! Lo and behold, there was a recipe for pumpkin bread, with a cranberry variation. Cranberries, cherries, they should be interchangeable, right? I decided to give it a try.

First, I gathered the ingredients. I have started doing this lately so I can (1) show my readers what I all used; and (2) remember everything, because I have been known to forget something or race around trying to find something when I need it.

Door County cherries are so good! Yes, we pick them ourselves - that is part of the fun of Door County cherries. And, thanks to my mom-in-law, I have a handy cherry pitter to help pit all of them.

I decided to make one big loaf to eat right away, and couple of small loaves to freeze. That way, I didn't have to eat all the bread at once, and I have something ready (after thawed) if I want it in the future. This was my step-mom's idea, and it works lovely for all kinds of baked goods!

I enjoyed mine with a couple of slices of cave aged white cheddar from Hooks, a very good cheese! Cheese goes with anything doesn't it? :)

Looks like nothing went wrong, doesn't it? Not so fast...The cherries were really wet to work with, probably because they were frozen prior to use, so I had to cook the bread longer than suggested (a few minutes on the small loaves and about 30 on the large loaf - yikes!). Next time I might thaw them farther ahead of time and dry them on paper towels. Also, a couple of pits managed to make it through. Luckily, I was the one who got that piece! Even with those mishaps, I would say this baking adventure turned out pretty well. Not one I will be sharing with anyone, but that is OK.