And so the flu continues…..we took mom to birthday lunch Monday, which was a full two days after her actual birthday and while I felt good Monday morning, before our lunch was over I had to be brought home because I was so ill. At least I wasn’t contagious so I didn’t infect all the customers at the restaurant.
I wasn’t able to get out and buy mother anything for her birthday so the best I could do was make her the special Pineapple Cake with Coconut & Pecan Icing. But I wanted to do more……..when my eyes fell upon the four over-ripe and very brown bananas I asked Son-In-Law to bring home from work early last week so I could make banana pudding. There would be no banana pudding with those bananas so I decided to make her some banana nut bread except I didn’t have a recipe. Then I found one – in Southern Living Magazine! I love that magazine, have you read it? The greatest southern writer ever, writes for them and if you haven’t read Rick Bragg’s Southern Journal on the back page of each Southern Living periodical then you must, and soon!
He is a scream – but sometimes, like his interview about the Fading Southern Traiteur (a fine tradition practiced by many of my ancestors) is so telling, he makes me nostalgic for family members long since passed on.
Back to the banana bread – I whipped it up pretty quick and luckily it made two loaves. I used some pecans we gathered up last fall in the backyard. I sliced up this one for pictures and double wrapped the other one for mom to put into the freezer. She ate a slice or two of this one and froze it as well because that pineapple cake is so big that she and her friends will be eating that all week long!
The cream cheese adds something fabulous to this traditional banana bread recipe and I hope you will try it soon!
Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium sized bananas)
1 cup roughly chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
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 mixing well each time.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Do not over mix or the bread will end up looking and feeling like a rock.
Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8×4 inch loaf pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool bread in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks.
Enjoy!
