It actually was quite thrilling to find blueberries for $.99 at the grocery store last week. In fact it was such a lovely surprise that caused me to veer “off list” and buy a couple of boxes – sometimes a dicey move. This time however, it’s proven to be a worthwhile purchase, and we’ve enjoyed blueberries on cereal, with oatmeal and most recently topping vanilla ice cream with a little honey drizzled over. But all of that is was basic – it was time to get serious about these guys. To do that, I’m baking a Blueberry Buttermilk and Lemon Loaf.
There are lots of recipes that call for sour cream, and for whole milk in berry bread, but I’m going out on a limb here and experimenting with buttermilk for that delightful, tangy, surprisingly light taste. Adding a little baking soda to the mix was the only adjustment needed – except for adding that smidgen of lemon zest. Somehow, baking with lemons makes it feel like spring, maybe it’s just a warm up for summer, but lemon in almost anything you cook elevates it to a celebration. And baking with blueberries is so easy; they hold their shape and don’t produce a ton of juice. I let my bread cool and thought it was so pretty (yes, bread can be pretty) but it needed just a little something extra. And so I made a glaze with the juice from the lemon that was zested and a bit of confectioner’s sugar. Perfection! It was like that little dab of lipstick before you run errands – just a bit of extra polish to make you feel good.
Even if blueberries get a little more expensive than $.99, you just need a cup to make Blueberry, Buttermilk, and Lemon Loaf. It’s is the perfect way to enjoy delicious blueberries, to share a treat with friends and family and to just put a smile on your face. And forget about putting lipstick on that smile, it’ll be gone after you eat a slice or three of this wonderful bread.
Blueberry, Buttermilk and Lemon Loaf
Ingredients
6 Tbsp melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1emon, zested
½ cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups flour (plus 2 Tbsp to coat blueberries)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 cup blueberries
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8 x 13 loaf pan with baking spray.
In a mixing bowl beat butter, sugar, and eggs.
Add vanilla and lemon zest.
Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and mix until just combined.
Toss blueberries with 2 Tbsp flour, and stir into batter very gently.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown and set.
Allow bread to cool on a baking rack before removing it from pan.
Glaze: Combine about 2 Tbsp lemon juice from zested lemon with ½ to ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar to make a glaze. Pour over cooled loaf.
Enjoy!
