Thursday, July 21, 2011

Banana Nut Bread ala Paula

This has become an absolute staple for Rick. I make it with Splenda and Splenda Blend Brown Sugar. Equally delicious, either way! Enjoy! Many think of this as a fall/winter bread...but makes a great breakfast or snack bread year around!

Banana Nut Bread ala Paula
makes 2 large and 1 small loaf

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar (Splenda)
1 cup light brown sugar (Splenda Blend)
3 eggs
6 bananas mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 heaping tsp. baking powder
2 heaping tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
1-3/4 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
Cream butter and cream cheese, add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one
at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine
flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add alternately to creamed mixture
with buttermilk. Fold in pecans. Bake in 3 greased loaf pans at 350 for 40-45
minutes until bread pulls away from edge of pan.
I used 9x5 loaf pan, La Forme large pan, and 8x4 loaf pan. Of course, started
out with a couple of recipes and gathered from each and increased amounts. Can
also be baked in mini loaf pans adjusting baking time to approximately 25
minutes, test at 20 minutes.