Lemon Blueberry Bread

Lemon Blueberry Bread
Erica's Sweet Tooth
click to print

1 1/2 c + 1 tbsp all purpose flour, divided
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c plain yogurt
1 c sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp lemon zest   
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 c blueberries, fresh or frozen

Lemon Syrup
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
1/3 c sugar

For the lemon glaze
1 c powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, and oil.
  

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. 
  

In a separate bowl mix the blueberries with the 1 tbsp of flour. 
  

Gently fold them into the mixed batter.
  

Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5" loaf pan, dust with flour, and tap out excess. 
 

Pour the batter into the pan and bake 50-55 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
  

Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the loaf is cooling, prepare the Lemon Syrup by combining the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until sugar is dissolved, and then continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  

Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf and brush with the lemon syrup. Continue to brush the loaf until all of the syrup is added.
  

Now, while I was supposed to do this:

To make the lemon glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice and pour over the top of the loaf. Let the lemon glaze harden before serving.

Instead, I thought, "That's a lot of sugar. Maybe I'll just sprinkle some on and call it good. And I'm sure if I wait a little while the syrup will soak up the sugar and then will set!" I might have rubbed my hands together with glee. 
 

I did that, waited a little while, and sliced off a hunk of bread. It was good though the sugar started getting wet with syrup in some spots while still dry and fluffy and sprinkly everywhere else.

Two days later, I had a hard time eating the bread because the top looked like it was a bacterial specimen in a microbiology class. The sugar wasn't set. Instead it was moist.
  

Daily I sprinkled more sugar on the loaf just before eating some to make it look appealing. Munching on the loaf heel, a realization dawned on me: I'd probably sprinkled a total of two cups of sugar over the bread and lost about half just by virtue of sprinkling and eating fine sugar. 
 


Even with my sugar snafu, the bread turned out well. The lemon was zingy, the blueberries tart; the sugar balances everything in the super moist bread. Make some, but follow Erica's directions and use the glaze.

Cost:

• flour: $0.35
• plain yogurt: $1.40
• sugar: $0.28
• eggs: $1.35
• lemons: $1.18  
• vanilla extract: $0.04
• vegetable oil: $0.16
• blueberries, fresh or frozen: $4.99
• powdered sugar: $0.21

Total: $9.96 or $0.83 for each of 12 slices.