""I make this extra-special banana bread only once a year to celebrate Christmas," says Sandra Bonow of Lewiston, Minnesota. "It's loaded with scrumptious ingredients such as coconut, mandarin oranges, dates, cherries, chocolate chips and almonds."..."
INGREDIENTS
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1/2 cup butter, softened
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1 cup sugar
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2 eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
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1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
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1 cup flaked coconut
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1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
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2/3 cup sliced almonds, divided
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1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
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1/2 cup chopped dates