Strawberry Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Another recipe modified by me. I used strawberries that I dehydrated this summer.




2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup chopped pecans
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 8-oz. pkg. reduced-fat cream cheese
½ cup butter,
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 slightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup dried strawberries crushed

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottom and sides of 2 of two loaf pans; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, the 2 eggs, and vanilla; beat until combined. Add dry mixture and mashed banana alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Stir in pecans. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese, remaining egg, and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on medium speed until almost smooth. Stir in strawberries.

Pour one-fourth of the banana batter into each loaf pan. Spoon one-fourth of the cream cheese mixture over each loaf. Using a spatula, cut through the batter to marble. Repeat the two layers as above, but do not marble. Bake about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.