Cream Cheese Banana Bread with Pecans

This post is dedicated to my pals at Cooking with Caitlin who have shown me how much fun playing with your  food can be. See them at http://www.cookingwithcaitlin.com/

I’ve made the Joy of Cooking Banana Bread recipe several times and it always turns out great. OK, I confess that I use brown sugar instead of white and always add an extra banana but those are ideas that Irma Rombauer suggests in the chapter on Quick Breads so they don’t count as innovations of mine.

So why mess with a good thing, right? Well, I had a dream. Really, I had a dream a few nights ago that I could substitute the butter with either cream cheese or sour cream. In the dream, I got a little of the tangy sour milk flavor and still get the richness (ie milk fat) that the butter brings. When I woke up I thought it was a pretty weird dream but I said, “what’s the worst that can happen – give it a try.” I’m glad I did!

I haven’t tried the sour cream version yet but the cream cheese sure makes a denser, moister bread with a bit more flavor than the original. Frankly, I think it’s great! The banana really comes through and the crust still has that crunchy sweetness to it.  I think there’s a hint of the sourness that I dreamt about, but it’s subtle (or I’m still dreaming.) I’m guessing that sour cream would probably deliver more tang on the tongue – I’ll let you know.

Generally, I think that the idea of  low-fat cakes & cookies is oxymoronic. No, actually it’s just moronic in my book.  Creating a low-fat banana bread certainly wasn’t my goal but I did notice, while the first loaf was in the oven, that regular cream cheese has about half the fat of butter. Half the calories too. You’re welcome to try this line of rationalization on your cardiologist (I know I will) but don’t be suprised if Doc still frowns at you. 

Again, be sure to say thank you to the legacy of the Rombauer – Becker clan for giving us the Joy of Cooking. The original Banana Bread recipe is on Page 773 of my JOC 1997 edition. Compare this Banana Bread with the original and let me know what you think.  Oh, and remember to follow your dreams.

Blah, blah, blah. You just want to try it (you know you do) so here’s the recipe:

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8  1/2  x  4  1/2 – inch (6-cup) loaf pan.

Whisk together thoroughly:
1  1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

In a large bowl, beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture, 2 to 3 minutes:
3 oz. cream cheese
2/3 cup brown sugar

Beat in flour mixture until blended and the consistency of brown sugar. Gradually beat in:
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Fold in until just combined:
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick comes out cleanly, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on a rack.