Pumpkin Sour Cherry Tea Bread

This is a not too sweet tea bread with added oat bran and flax meal. Makes a nice addition to afternoon tea or morning coffee....without a lot of the guilt!

1/3 cup shortening

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

2 eggs

½ pound pumpkin, grated

1/3 cup plain non-fat yogurt (not a thick, Greek style yogurt)

2 tablespoons flax meal

½ cup oat bran

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup chopped sour cherries (Montmorency)

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2.      Mix together, flour, oat bran, flax meal, salt, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, allspice, nuts and sour cherries. Make sure the latter is scattered throughout the mixture (sour cherries tend to clump together).

3.      Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper

4.      Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy

5.      Add yogurt, shredded pumpkin, and eggs and beat at low speed

6.      Add the flour mixture in 2 increments, and mix until just combined.

7.      Pour batter into pan. Bake for about 65-70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

8.      Cool for 10 minutes in the pan then invert on to a wire rack to cool. Slice when cool.