Cream Cheese Banana-Nut Bread

There's something about making banana bread that makes me feel at home.  My mom used to make banana bread all the time when we were little, and I loved helping mash the bananas with a little fork in that little stainless steel bowl. Now in my mom's kitchen it's my nieces who are the ones that help with making the banana bread.  The little girls love pulling up a chair and putting on the aprons to help pour and stir.  I don't have to pull up a chair anymore, but I still like to put on the apron.  

Happy Monday!

Cream Cheese Banana-Nut Bread
3/4 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas, about 3-4 bananas
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.  Stir in mashed bananas, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract.  Spoon batter into two greased 8x4-inch loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.  If the tops start to get brown, you may want to shield the tops with aluminum foil in the last 15 or 20 minutes of baking.  Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool 30 minutes on racks before slicing.

source:  recipe from Southern Living, January 2005