Shelly's Recipe

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY LOAF

Category: Quick Breads

1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 plus 3/4 cup sugar
2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
3 tbsp mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Coat 3 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. In small bowl, whisk cocoa powder, 1/3 cup of the sugar and 1/3 cup water until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the eggs, oil and almond extract. Whisk in sour cream.

Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until blended. Stir 1-1/2 cups of the batter into the cocoa mixture, along with the chopped cherries, until no white streaks remain. Dollop alternating spoonfuls of batter into prepared pans. Swirl batters together with a butter knife until marbled in appearance. Top each loaf with 1 tablespoon mini chips.

Bake for 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean. Cool loaves in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove directly to rack to cool completely.