Jamaican Banana Bread w/Spiced Rum

...if you like pina coladas and gettin caught in the rain...I'm not much into health food, I am into champagne...

Ah the Caribbean, makes me feeling like swaying and singing corny songs. This recipe will make you want to sing too. ...put the lime in the coconut, da da da...

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
1 Cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/2 cup milk (your choice 2%, whole, half and half with water...)
4 Tbsp Spiced Rum
1 tsp lime zest
2 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp fresh orange or tangerine juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour (I use King Arthur white whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut (don't have coconut, don't worry tastes great without it too)

Preheat oven to 375°. Oil and flour your loaf pans (8 x 4, 9 x 5, or mini loaf pans). Recipe makes one large loaf.

You will need 3 bowls-1 large and 2 small.

1. In small bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Beat in brown sugar and then the egg.

2. In the other small bowl, combine the mashed banana, milk, rum, lime zest, lime juice, orange juice and vanilla; mix well.

3. In large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Now pour half the creamed mixture into the flour and give it a good stir. Then pour in half of the banana mixture and mix that it. Repeat and you should have a nice looking batter.

Fold in your pecans and coconut.
Poor batter into pan and bake for 50 - 60 minutes. Do not overcook as it will be dry - remember it finishes cooking a little even after you take it out of the oven. The old toothpick test works well, when a toothpick comes out clean it's done. Remove from over and let it sit and cool for a bit before taking it out of the pan. Enjoy what goes into your mouth!

Dear readers, please tell me you have a micro-zester. This is one of my favorite tools as it makes zesting super easy.