Cream Cheese Banana Muffins

Recipe from Moomaw Juli,  Vietnamese Cooking Group, Facebook 

FOR THE BANANA BREAD:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed well
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt or buttermilk
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING: 

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

Regular oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F 

Breville Smart Oven: preheat the oven to 325°F 

For banana loaf: Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over on the longer sides then grease the parchment paper with cooking spray. 

For muffins: spray or greased muffin 12 muffins pans with butter or oil or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Set the batter aside.

MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, egg, sugar and flour. (Alternately, use a handheld beater to combine the ingredients.) 

For the banana loaf:

Add 1/3 of the banana bread batter to the prepared loaf pan then alternately add dollops of the cream cheese filling and remaining banana bread batter to the pan. Using a knife, swirl together the mixture.

For the muffin: 1/2 banana batter, some cream cheese batter. Then add more banana batter & top off with more cream cheese batter. Take a fork, swirl to blend the mixture.

For the banana loaf: Bake the bread for 50 to 60 minutes until the top is set. (If the bread is getting too dark around the edges, you can tent the pan with foil and continue baking.) For muffins, bake 28-30 minutes only! 

Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before using the parchment paper overhangs to lift the bread out of the pan and onto a rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

For the muffins, edge around the pan with a silicon knife or plastic knife to release the muffins.