Saturday, February 16, 2013

Cream Cheese Banana Bread


I have a few favorite banana bread recipes and make them when I have ripe bananas and feel like treating myself. A few months ago I came across a recipe called "The Most Creamy Banana Bread" and obviously I was intrigued because it contained cream cheese, which I love in all my cookies, cakes and breads, and the ratings were A plus. So what's a gal to do on a snowy Saturday with 3 extra ripe bananas sitting on my kitchen counter? I got to work and made this simple, delicious bread. Easy prep and 45 minutes cooking time, I couldn't be happier. This recipe originated from Tracey Stephan, a blue ribbon winner at JAP. Tracey had a topping on her bread- nuts and brown sugar. I decided to eliminate the topping and just add my favorite add in-mini chocolate chips into the batter. This is a treat you don't want to miss. Let's put this baby together, with a few pictures to help you along.

Cream Cheese Banana Bread
use a 9 x 5 inch bread pan

Cooking spray
1/2 cup butter softened
8 oz cream cheese softened
1-1/4 cup sugar (I used Splenda no calorie)
2 eggs room temp if possible
3 bananas mashed (Tracey used 1 cup, I added a little more)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups AP flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and mist bread pan with cooking spray. I like to get all my ducks in order before I bake so first thing I did was combine my flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium size bowl.

In large bowl beat with hand mixer the cream cheese and butter. Now add the sugar and mix well.


Add your eggs one at a time and mix. Now add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract.



It's time to add the flour mixture. At this time I put my mixer away and stir the ingredients with my wooden spoon. The "Joy of Baking" claims that the less you mix your batter, the more tender your bread will be. So fold in the flour mixtue gently by hand. Add the chocolate chips and combine.
 
 
Pour or spoon batter into prepared baking pan.
 
 
Bake in pre heated oven for 45 minutes. At first I thought this wasn't enough time for this amount of bread, but I was wrong. Forty five minutes does the trick. Bake this little baby up and enjoy!
 
 



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