POM Banana and Pistachio Bread

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease one 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Prepare fresh pomegranate arils, if necessary.* Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl stir together bananas, oil, milk and egg; stir into flour mixture with arils and the chopped pistachios just until moistened; do not over-mix. Spoon batter into prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle a few whole shelled pistachios and a few additional arils over the batter for garnish.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove loaf from pan and cool on wire rack. Store bread tightly covered; or wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Serve this pomegranate recipe.

*To prepare fresh pomegranate arils, score 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate and place in a bowl of water.  Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs).  The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top.  Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl.

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