Cherry Bread

 Ingredients

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 cup of oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or almond extract)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking yeast

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 jars of maraschino cherries* (10 ounces each)

Icing :

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons of melted butter

1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, milk, oil, egg and vanilla. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well blended.

Drain the maraschino cherries, reserving the juice for icing. Coarsely chop the cherries in a food processor or with a knife. Gently fold the cherries into the batter.

Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan 9″x5″. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the bread should come out clean. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes, then remove the bread to a rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, mix powdered sugar, melted butter, cherry juice and almond extract in a small bowl. Mix until smooth.

Once the bread has cooled, spread the icing on top of the bread. Cut into slices and serve. Freezes well!