Banana Palm Trees & Cranberry-Orange Bread!

MO hit low 60's today! What better way to enjoy the warmer temps then with a fruit platter and citrus toned homemade bread! The Banana Palm Tree is super easy to make just kiwis, a couple bananas and some tangerine pieces. Both recipes and pics are provided below, enjoy!

Banana Palm Trees

Ingredients: 

2 Bannans

• 2-3 Kiwis
• 2 tangerines
• Assemble platter by picture. Be as Creative as you wish!
• 1 cup cranberries coarsely chopped 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 large egg, well beaten
• 3/4 cup orange juice 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9 x 5 x 3inch loaf pan.
Zest up your orange and rinse and coarsely chop up your cranberries.
In a small bowl, beat your egg. Add in the 3/4 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest and the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Cut the 4 tablespoons of cold butter into small pieces, and blend it into the flour 
mixture using a pastry blender. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined.
Then fold in the chopped cranberries (and nuts if you're using them).
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
Then remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely before slicing. 
Recipe courtesy of
http://www.marinmamacooks.com/2011/11/cranberry-orange-bread/