Oatmeal, Fruit And Nut Bread

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk (or you can use 1% milk soured with 1 tsp. vinegar per cup of milk. i wouldn't recommend nonfat milk,)
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (i prefer dark brown)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup raisins or 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (can use more raisins instead) (optional)

Recipe

• 1 combine oats and buttermilk; mix well and set aside for a few minutes.
• 2 combine dry ingredients, except for the sugar, and mix well.
• 3 add brown sugar to oat mixture and mix well, pressing out any lumps.
• 4 add buttermilk mixture and vanilla to dry ingredients and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
• 5 stir in fruit and nuts (if using).
• 6 put batter into 2 1-lb loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick spray.
• 7 bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes.
• 8 cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove from pans to cool on wire rack.