Old-Fashioned Banana Spice Bread

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two loaf pans with Baker's Joy, or oil the pans and sprinkle with flour, then tap out the excess,--this is prevent your bread from sticking.

2. 2

   Mix the two flours, oatmeal, all dry spices, salt, & baking soda in one bowl and mix thoroughly. Chop the dried plums and put them, with the raisins, into the dry mixture and toss them to coat. Set all this to one side.

3. 3

   In a separate bowl mash the bananas, add the eggs, sugar, molasses, and extracts, then mix well.

4. 4

   Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients bowl and pour in the fruit mixture, then add one cup of warm skim milk --for even more flavor, make it orange juice. Then add the other 1/2 cup of warm water a little at a time--please stir slowly, don't beat the mix or it you'll end up with a dense, very moist, bread pudding that didn't rise (but it's still good, if toasted). Stir only until all the dry ingredients are wet, not forgetting the flour at the bottom of the bowl. Pour into the two oiled/floured loaf pans, and place in the middle of the oven. NOTE: For parties I will sometimes pour 1/4 cup of Mrs. Butterworth syrup over the tops of each loaf before baking because most folks like sweeter breads, but for my family, I don't use it (we try to watch our sugar intake). My own oven will bake this in 35 minutes. so set your time for 35, then check the loaves--if the tops spring back when pressed with a finger, they're done. If they seem a little too soft, add 3 minutes at a time (should take no more than 9 minutes more) until done.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.