Recipe: Banana Cream Cheese Bars

• 6 tablespoons  butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2  cups  sugar
• 1/3 cup kefir 
• 3  large eggs
• 3 bananas mashed
• 1 3/4  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice (allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon)
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2 rounded teaspoon  baking powder
• 1  package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon kefir or cream if using frozen cream cheese

Preparation

1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, bananas, and 1/3 cup kefir until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. In another bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and spices; stir or beat into butter mixture until well blended. Spread batter evenly in a buttered and floured 10- by 15-inch baking pan.

2. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, remaining egg, 1 tablespoon kefir and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth.

3. Drop cream cheese mixture in 24 evenly spaced 1-tablespoon portions over batter. Pull a knife tip through filling to swirl slightly into batter.

4. Bake in a 350° oven until center of banana batter (not cream cheese mixture) springs back when touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, then cut into 24 bars.