Lemon Blueberry Bread

"Come with rain, O loud Southwester!

Bring the singer, bring the nester, 

Give the buried flower a dream;

Make the settled snow-bank steam;

Find the brown beneath the white..."

-To the Thawing Wind

Robert Frost

Earlier in the week we read this poem in class. I thought it was fitting to open up this post with these lines. I've shared with you how ready I am for Spring to come. Like the poet, I want the flowers, the snow to melt, the rain to come...

When I saw a recipe for Lemon Blueberry Bread on The Comfort of Cooking, I knew I had to make it. It screams Spring- the colors, the lemon, the sweetness from the glaze. I made it this past weekend while I was cooped up in the house, amidst the gray and white. 

It is super sweet. Tart. Sugary. I ate it for breakfast. Had it as a snack after work. 

I love blueberries. I love lemon- a recent discovery of mine. I've never had an abundance of lemons in the house before. Now I squeeze them over everything- chicken, fish, into sauces, over desserts, even meat (not that I've tried to yet- that's tonight's experiment in the kitchen). 

If you don't like lemons, make this for someone who does. It's so pretty. It'll be sure to brighten up their day and remind them that Spring will be coming soon!

Oh, and, as you will see, the directions suggest to make this into three small loafs. I obviously didn't- I used a regular loaf pan, didn't change any of the ingredients, and stuck to the oven temperature and bake time.

Source: The Comfort of Cooking

1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup powdered sugar (or more, if needed, for thickening)

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three mini-loaf pans with cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan, then spray it with a little additional spray.

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons juice and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Beat in lemon zest. Toss blueberries with just enough flour to coat. (This helps keep them evenly distributed throughout rather than sinking like a lump to the bottom.) Gently stir blueberries into batter, then pour batter into three prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. (You may want to check at 45 minutes.) Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle over warm loaves, using pastry brush to evening distribute. Finish cooling in pan on wire rack. (Note: If you want to take the loaves out of your pan, remove from pan after 10 minutes of cooling and before drizzling with glaze.)

What dishes/desserts remind you of Spring?

Link up at Sweets for a Saturday & Sweet Tooth Friday's.