Blueberry lemon bread

Isn't it amusing how a name will sometimes make us by into something? I know that J. Crew has had the same gorgeous shade of green for their bikini every summer but the name is always different. I think it has changed from being called moss green, to grass and fern. I'm a sucker for those names. I eat them up much in the same way I ate this 'bread'. I used to wish that my job would be to simply come up with names for colours. Someone has to think up of all those Behr paints.
Every time I come across a recipe for a sweet bread I know in the back of my sugar tooth that in all honesty, it is a cake. Labeling it as a bread just makes everything easier. It's shaped like a loaf of bread and since it has the word 'bread' then it can't be too unhealthy. I think this way even as I read the ingredient list which would make Paula Deen give her trademark laugh of decadence. ( I love that woman ).
This is a bread that should really be made with fresh blueberries, Frozen berries wouldn't do it justice. It is unbelievably moist. You can squash pieces down with a fork and they will gladly stick. The dough itself was on the sweet side but the addition of the berries plus lemon zest gave it perfect balance. It isn't 'cakey' but it's certainly not a bread either. The texture is more like that of a pound cake but without the 'stick in your throat' dryness. If a blueberry cobbler had an affair with a pound cake, This is would be the result.
Oh, The glaze! Even though it doesn't need a topping, this glaze makes a good thing even better. The lemon and sugar gracefully ooze into the holes and saturate the berries which have melted gently into the cake. You really have to try it to understand how amazing this tastes! Just be sure to bake it before blueberries are gone for the summer.
Blueberry Lemon 'bread'
recipe adapted from the Joy of Baking
( Printer friendly Recipe )

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. of softened butter2/4 cup of white sugar2 eggs1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract1 Tbsp. of lemon zest1/2 cup of sour cream ( at room temp so it has liquefied a bit )1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour1 tsp. of baking Powder1/4 tsp. of salt1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries

Glaze ingredients:

4 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice3/4 cup of white sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter sides and bottom of a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking Powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy ( about 2 minutes ). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the zest and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and sour cream intermittently at low speed. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Stop as soon as the flour mixture just combines with the dough. Carefully fold in the blueberries with a large, flat wooden spoon. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes or until a long knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

While the bread is baking, prepare the glaze. In a medium saucepan bring the sugar and lemon juice to a boil. Cook over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

When the bread is done place it on a wire rack. Poke deep holes all over using a toothpick. Be careful not to lose it inside the cake. :) Using a brush or spoon, pour the glaze all over the bread. Allow it to cool 30 minutes before removing from pan. Let it sit on the wire rack until it reaches room temp. It is best to serve this on the day it is made.

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