Southern Banana Bread

Sometimes a girl wants to up her game. As many of you know, my husband is the chef, and I am the avid baker. When I was 15, I worked at a small bakery in my hometown of Frankfort, KY. (FYI, that’s the capital). While working at Magee’s Bakery, I learned two very important lessons: how to get up and the crack of dawn and the comfort of baking something with love and real ingredients. Yes, this is where I fell in love with using the good stuff: butter… cream… sugar. While I am a fitness enthusiast and love eating healthy, I was born in the south y’all! Sometimes you need to fill your house with the aroma of home.

My baking skills have blossomed since becoming a Mrs. In fact, I wrote a cookbook for Christmas a few years back, and half of it was baked goods. While I was very proud of most of the recipes in the book, my banana bread recipe was mediocre at best. After the most recent unsuccessful attempt, I vowed to find another way. Two weeks ago, my friend and co-worker Emily (author of Half Assed Homemaker) deserved a “thank you for being awesome: gift, so I tested out a new recipe… Sweet goodness, did I hit the jackpot!

May I present the best recipe I have EVER found on Pinterest: 

Southern Living Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread
***Makes 2 loaves***

• 3/4 cups butter, softened
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour ( I did half white flour/half wheat.  It was the least I could do given all the bad stuff in this recipe!)
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans, toasted
• 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 just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour and next three ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans and vanilla. Spoon batter into two greased and floured 8x4 inch loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary. (I found that after one hour, my banana bread wasn't completely cooked through. I ended up baking it for an extra 20 minutes.) Cool bread in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

Slice, serve and savor!

Happy baking, sweet friends.