Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread Muffins

Banana nut bread recipes are fantastic, but add cream cheese and bake them into muffins and you'll have a moist, sweet muffin that everyone will love!

Which do I burn for being a witch?

OK, that idea did make me giggle while I was thinking about whether or not to use eggs that were one day over the expiration date on the box. I am an expiration date freak. The moment the milk hits that day - ew and gone.

Pretty much the moment everything hits that expiration day, gone. Let me tell you, there's a lot of ew and gones in a kitchen that you didn't stock but now cook in. Like gravy packets. Gravy packets that had expired 4 years before you started using the kitchen. Im almost positive some of this could be used in science experiments....

On to the food. Today's recipe for banana nut bread really is some of the best banana bread I have made yet. Or the best banana nut bread muffins. Because... they're muffins, obviously.

Themuffins had just the right density to not be like cake but still be soft enough chewing didn't bother my TMJ. They do however take forever from start to finish.

Oh, the recipe looks easy, but the moment you go to add that three cups of flour, your going to be making a trip to the market. The market is only ½ a mile away, but you will be risking your life as that little old lady in the silver Kia almost hits you not once, but three times....yes that part was rather scary.

When you get home with your flour you'll have to debate over the goodness of a day over the expiration date egg. And just as it all smooths out and you're filling your muffin tray, you'll have company. So these banana nut bread muffins are delicious, just make a sacrifice to the muffin god before hand and you should be good, otherwise, be prepared to pay the price.

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread Muffins

(recipe from Myrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups mashed bananas (1 ¼ pounds unpeeled bananas, about 4 medium)
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpans.

Bake at 350° 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. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

To bake the muffins, spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Makes 24 muffins. Prep: 15 min., Bake: 25 min.

The company that did stop by was uber helpful though. My boyfriend's mom not only brought over delicious candy, but she brought my some herbs! I now have some sage, oregano and basil to not kill (why does plant life intimidate me more then my actual living pets?). She also returned later in the day with a lot of colorful plants for my front garden!

And scored herself some completed banana nut bread.

I have lots of digging to do and am happy to have more things going into my garden out front. At present there are three different types of flowers blooming and everyone looks really happy. My sunflower seeds have even popped up and are looking really strong and healthy. That or we have a very cunning weed that is doing its best to trick me.

And I discovered she has never been to a TJ Max. Can anyone else say field trip?