Try Again: Cream Cheese Banana Bread

I have had the worst luck baking lately. I don't know why, but things just haven't been working out. I didn't even take a picture of this failure. The bread overflowed the pan AND then (not surprisingly) it didn't cook all the way through. The top that was cooked did taste really good, so I'll definitely try again-probably in two bread pans.

Cream Cheese Banana Bread-adapted from A Cook's Quest
Total Time: 1 hour
Makes 1 loaf

• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the butter, cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add the eggs and mix until blended. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Mix in bananas and vanilla.

Pour mixture into a greased bread pan. Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Blueberry Muffins

The original title of these muffins was "The Best Ever Blueberry Muffins". And the original poster was correct. I don't think I've ever had as good of muffins as these. The struesel really puts it over the top. They are pretty easy to make too! Everyone that tried them loved them! You can switch out the berries for  your preferred fruit, but blueberry muffins are already my favorite!

Blueberry Muffins-adapted from A Cook's Quest

Total Time: 45 Minutes

Serves 2 dozen muffins

For the Muffins:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 1/8 cups  plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Struesel:

• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 5  tablespoons melted butter

If topping the muffins with streusel, combine ingredients until it is the size of peas and set aside.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare standard muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or liners. Bring 1 cup blueberries, water,  and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing the berries with your potato masher or fork several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced by about half.  This will take about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes. 

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and well combined. Slowly mix in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining all blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)

Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Sprinkle streusel evenly over muffins.

Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.