Sometimes being absolutely clueless is a grand thing. You don’t know what you don’t know. The results can turn out to be bananas or nuts, or both! So when my adventuring buddy A. said, let’s hike Picacho Peak in southern Arizona, we said why not! For years, A. has talked about Picacho’s beauty and its amazing, challenging hike. She made it sound exotic and magical. At about 2 miles long, no problem. Let’s do it!
Last Spring Break, Son B and I hopped on a plane to Phoenix (Courtesy of Son A’s flight perks. Thanks son!), flew east to D.C., then west to Phoenix, and met up with A.! We stayed with her sweet, cooking-loving Mama and hubby. On the day of the hike, A’s Mama made sure Son B. was adequately prepared–6 fried eggs, a tower of toast and a slew of sausage! His to-go, hiking bag? Banana cupcakes with an amazing caramel icing and a few apples for good measure!
To get to Picacho Peak State Park, take Exit 219 on I-10, between Phoenix and Tucson. You can’t miss Picacho. It’s eroded volcanic flow has been a landmark since the 1700’s. It’s even a the site of a major 1862 Civil War battle! In Arizona. Extremely west of the Mason-Dixon Line. Nonetheless, it’s steeped in history and is remarkably impressive jutting out of the desert floor!
Maybe A. mentioned it. Maybe we didn’t really listen, but Picacho Peak’s Hunter Trail has an almost 1400 foot elevation rise over 1.6 miles. The 1.6 miles doesn’t sound daunting UNTIL you add the elevation increase. Again, you don’t know what you don’t know. In the greater scheme of things, we should’ve been training like up-hill marathon climbers rather than couch slugs!
From the Barrett Loop parking lot, the climb to the Saddle is relatively painless. There’s a few spots, your calves might moo till the heifers come home…
Once you hit the Saddle at 2,960 feet, it’s completely game on! What goes up, or down, must return in the opposite direction to get back to the truck. But the views are absolutely breath-taking!
The fun doesn’t really begin until you start earning your Mountain Goat Hiking Badge… If you have any fear of heights, I highly advise thinking twice about going for the summit. But it’s completely worth it!
In Picacho’s shadow sits the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch and Petting Zoo. If anyone has a scheme of people paying to feed their animals, Rooster Cogburn’s does! It’s a cute little petting zoo we thoroughly enjoyed visiting after the hike. Kids of all ages, including Son B, love the variety of animals, ranging from begging donkeys to perching Rainbow Lorikeets, a wall and high-rise penthouse of goats, plus the obviously named ostriches. It’s quite quirky, but cool! And everyone gets a snack! Who doesn’t love a snack?!
Today’s post is based on this nutty combination of hiking tom-foolery and petting zoo antics! We were complete nuts to tackle Picacho Peak, but we survived! Barely! In honor of A.’s sweet cooking Mama, her banana to-to cupcakes, and this zany trip, here’s my Cream Cheese Banana Bread with Toasted Pecan Coconut Topping. It’s a mouthful to say, but oh, so scrumptious to enjoy!
I adore this recipe because the banana bread doesn’t sink in the middle after baking. The crumb is moist and tangy due to the addition of cream cheese, butter, and obvious bananas. Toasted pecans in the batter give the bread a roasted crunch. Alone, this banana bread is substantial enough for a rigorous hike or an afternoon snack. With the toasted pecan coconut topping, it’s just bonkers!
Feeling frisky?! You can easily substitute fresh strawberries or blueberries for the bananas in this recipe. It’s that versatile. Go bonkers and cut into thick slices for french toast! We hope this nutty bread will get you thinking about your last nutty experience!
Cream Cheese Banana Bread with Toasted Pecan-Coconut Topping
This tangy cream-cheese based banana bread with toasted pecans and coconut topping will have you walking on the wild side! Enjoy with or without the topping as morning french toast or a mid-day snack.
Ingredients
For Banana Bread:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1–8 ounce block cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. rum extract*
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt (kosher or table)
1–1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3–4 bananas)
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted**
For Toasted Pecan Coconut Topping:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk (whole or 2%)
2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Banana Bread:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast chopped pecans while mixing bread batter. Grease and flour two 8-inch x 4-inch loaf pans. Set aside.
In a standing mixer, or with a hand-held mixer, cream butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in vanilla and rum extracts. Sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sided bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture until just combined. Stir in mashed bananas and chopped, toasted pecans. Spread batter evenly among two loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pans before turning out to cool on wire rack.
If using Toasted Pecan Coconut Topping, add topping to just-baked bread (see below).
For Toasted Pecan Coconut Topping:
Combine unsalted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans, coconut, and vanilla. Spread over just-baked banana bread. Broil (5-1/2 inches from heating element) for 2 to 3 minutes or until topping is light brown. Cool for 20 minutes in pan before turning out to cool.
Notes
*Omit rum extract if it’s not your flavor.
**Toast chopped pecans, or other tree nut, at 350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Stir halfway between baking time. Cool before using in recipe.
IMNPB
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