Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread (Healthier Verison)

This was published in Southern Living's Feb 2008 edition. It is a re-make of the original recipe contributed by Willie Monroe from Homewwod, Alabama. This version cuts down some of the fat intake and still remains as delish as the original recipe. Make sure you bake this in TWO 8X4 loaf pans. Do not try and put this in a single 10x4 loaf pan, because it is too much batter and it will not bake through properly.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 25
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄4 cups pecans, divided
• 1⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1  cup sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups  cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup buttermilk
• 1 1⁄2 cups  mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 medium sized)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Topping

• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Place 3/4 cup pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 6 minutes.
3. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy and light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
4. Combine flours and next 4 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
5. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in bananas, toasted pecans, and vanilla.
6. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8X4 inch pans. Combine topping ingredients and with a pastry blender or fork crush the topping until mixture resembles small peas. Lightly sprinkle mixture over batter in pans.
7. Bake at 350°F for one hour or until a long wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and sides of bread pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil during last 15 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks. Let cool 30 minutes.