Banana Bread

I like this one because it's a little more bready than cakey, and it's not super sweet.

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, mashed bananas and milk. Combine wet and dry mixtures. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

Sour milk: 1/2 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to equal 1/2 cup.

Triple Cherry Compote

1 cup cherry cider/juice (Knudsen’s cherry juice is available at Whole Foods.)
1 cup dried tart cherries
1½ pounds fresh cherries, pitted and halved or 20 oz frozen pitted Bing cherries, halved
½ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons brandy
2 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Bring cherry cider/juice and dried cherries to a boil in large heavy saucepan. Remove from heat, cover, let steep 20 min.
2. Bring dried cherry mixture back to a simmer, and mix in fresh or frozen cherries and sugar. Simmer until cherries soften, about 2 min. for fresh and 5 min. for frozen. Mix brandy and cornstarch in a bowl to blend. Slowly stir into cherry mixture. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, about 1 min. Cool, cover, and chill until cold. (Can be made 2 days ahead.) Makes about 3½ cups.

from Bon Apetit