Shelly's Recipe

CINNAMON CRISP-TOPPED CREAM CHEESE-BANANA-NUT BREAD

Category: Quick Breads

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (1 1/4 lbs unpeeled bananas, about 4 medium)
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 tsp flour
1 tsp melted butter
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Beat butter and cream cheese 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 loaf pans.

Stir together brown sugar, 1/2 cup pecans, 1 tsp flour, 1 tsp melted butter, and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. 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. Makes 2 loaves