Monday, October 12, 2009

Lemony Lovliness!


LEMON BREAD

Luscious, lemony, speckled with zest and very moist.....

This started out as cranberry lemon loaf...but when it came time to fold in the ruby-red, dried cranberries, alas I was out. So, into the oven it went - without a key ingredient.

It would have been nice to see those chewy little bits snug in their bed of moist, tender crumbs...but the flavor was still bright and tangy, and I don't have much to complain about!

This bread gets better as it sits - cakey and the flavor more pronounced. I'll give you the recipe as it should be - but even alone and lonely....it'll do just fine!



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2/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk
OPTIONAL - 2 cups diced, dried cranberries or fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, blackberries - go wild!

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 4 mini loaf pans (or 2 regular size) with vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the lemon juice, zest, and eggs, and vanilla until well combined.

In another bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add alternately with the milk to the egg mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Fold in berries, if using.

Divide batter among prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes if making mini-loaves. Remove to a wire rack, but leave in the pans.

In a small bowl combine the glaze ingredients. Pour over the hot loaves and allow to cool completely before removing from pans. Wrap tightly to store.




36 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! I love lemon loaves, but I've never had a recipe. That crumb looks amazing.

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  2. Lemon is my favorite flavor next to chocolate. And horray for no cranberries. I like cranberries, but who would want anything to take the attention away from the beautiful lemon bread?

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  3. Wow, this looks beautiful. I'm going to book mark this. To be honest, I think I prefer this the way you've done it, I'm not that into berries in my cake :)

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  4. ciao! complimenti per questo meraviglioso dolce!

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  5. I just found your blog on food gawker and immidately added it to my google reader! Someone who loves sweets as much as me deserves to be read as much much as possible. : ) Btw, your lemon bread looks delicious!

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  6. This is a beautiful bread - tender and moist and so lemony. I bet it's just delicious!

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  7. OK, I am following you for sure. Not only are your recipes outstanding, but you photograph them so beautifully that it is almost as good looking at them as it would be actually tasting them.

    Well... no. Not really. But still -- must see more!
    Cass

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  8. moist, tender, bright, refreshing. all in all, an awesome loaf!

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  9. I love the photos - I can almost taste each moist citrus-y bite!

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  10. oooohhh! I'm so glad you left out the cranberries. I love them, but I dont have a recipe of my own for lemon tea bread/cake and with the cranberries in, I may not have notice yours. I can't wait for the cat to be away so I can bake this, guilt free. (he is now watching his waistline..darn)It looks wonderful!

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  11. I am excited to make this for an upcoming bridal shower brunch! I have 2 questions...how long to cook a regular (9x5") loaf? Does this freeze well or do you prefer to just make it a day ahead? Thanks! Just found your blog through TasteSpotting and I'll definitely stop by some more!

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  12. Barbie - in regular loaf pans it would take at least 50 minutes, I would think - judging from other breads I've made. You may want to loosely place a piece of foil over the top if it starts to get too brown.

    It will freeze great, actually. You could even re-glaze it for even more moistness and lemon flavor. (I like to glaze the bottom and sides, too!)

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  13. Sorry, one more question. My bread is baking right now. The batter tasted saltier than I thought it should, so I double checked that you typed it as 2 tsp. salt; you did. Is that correct? My mom has a similar recipe that makes 1 loaf and it calls for 1/2 tsp. salt. Thanks Linda! (PS--I like yours better b/c it calls for more lemon zest and for vanilla; my mom's recipe doesn't.)

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  14. I always thought that, too...every time I make it. But as it sits and rests it seems to come into it's own and mellow out.

    I just may take out 1/2 a teaspoon, because it seems unnecessary!

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    1. Agree, Linda. I would reduce the salt somewhat. Not necessary for that much. I love that lemony, juicy glaze. This is heavenly! What I love to do is make the lemon juice with my juicer. That juice is packed with nutrients, plus it has amazing flavor. Yum!

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  15. This looks and sounds so good...I love lemon sweets. I have just joined your blog. Patsy

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  16. I will be making this with blueberries. My mouth is already watering just thinking about it. Thank you for sharing!

    ~Erika
    It’s a Wrap Link Party at Artful Rising

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  17. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us! :) But mine didn't rise enough. :( I wonder why.. May I know what type of milk do you use? Is it full cream milk?

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    1. I'm so sorry it didn't rise enough...I wonder if the baking powder was becoming stale? That happens sometimes and is annoying! I use regular 2% milk.

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  18. What do you mean by regular 2% milk? Any specific product name?

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    1. 2% milk is milk that has only 2% fat left in it. (The diary skims off most of the cream and leaves just a little bit.) But any milk will work for this - full cream would make it richer, but yummy!

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  19. I made this today -- it was really good, but had a question!

    I made 2 loaf pans and when I made the glaze it was so runny and seemed like too much. The liquid filled the top of the pan. I figured it was supposed to soak in, but I chickened out and poured it off (afraid it might get soggy). I did brush more on a few times before it cooled.

    Are you supposed to use all the glaze and just let it soak in or what?

    Thanks! Either way, I will make this again!

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    1. I'm so glad you loved it, regardless!!

      Yes, I pour about 1/4 cup over each loaf and it does soak in and not get soggy, just really moist!!

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    2. Yay! And thank you---that was my question and it's in the oven right now!

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  20. Thank you for posting this recipe. I just pulled these out if the oven about 10 minutes ago and one is already gone! (I made 2 regular size loaves)
    Thank you thank you!!

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  21. Maybe I am just blind, but how long does one bake if making REGULAR sized loaves?

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  22. Hi Linda--quick question: How would this bread taste with the addition of poppy seeds? I've been looking for a lemon poppy seed bread recipe for a long time. I was drawn to your post, for your bread looked so wonderful and moist. What do you think?

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    1. I think it would be wonderful! I've done it with blueberries, too!

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  23. Hi Linda -
    Do you have to glaze this bread. I have done a similar glaze before and didn't like it, does the bread need the glaze or is it good without it?
    Thanks!

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    1. Hi! It doesn't need it, but it gives a little more lemony-ness to the bread. If you wanted you could add a little more zest...but, yes, it's good without!

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  24. How would it turn out to substitute butter milk for the milk?

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    1. It should be just fine! Will have a little more "sourness" to it, but kinda like in buttermilk pancakes...nothing really odd!

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  25. Good evening,
    After putting the mix in the pan can you put lemon chutney in the mix and swirl it around and then bake it?

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    1. I think that would be SO good! As long as the chutney isn't too liquidy...should work great!

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  26. This is by far my husbands' favorite of the breads that I make. Never too much lemon. Thank you for posting!

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