yes, I do bake… every now and then…

We all know that I don’t bake.

Yet I did, voluntarily, on Sunday.

Weird, I know!

It all had to do with the blueberries that were on sale at Fry’s.

I bought them, only because they were on sale, then I didn’t know what to do with them … so I baked. The result was pretty darn fantastic! (Oh, I bought the pork loin on sale too… that recipe will follow soon.)

I used Meyer lemons because I have them, but regular Lisbon lemons would be just as delicious.

If you need either, and you are in my neighborhood … contact me and you can pick as many as your heart desires.

I do not charge $46 (plus $10 for shipping) for 3 pounds as they do on Food52/Provisions!!! In fact, I don’t charge anything, they are free for the picking. Meyer or Lisbon! And yes, both are organic!

Before we get to the recipe, a few notes:

I love to use a longer and thinner loaf pan for bread. There are more slices and they are a nicer size. A 12″ long by 4 1/2″ wide by 2 1/2″ deep loaf pan is my favorite size to use.

When you use a glaze on baked goods, the glaze drips. Many recipes call for you to place the baked item on a rack – over waxed paper or such.

Don’t bother with the wax paper, just place it on a rack – on a clean counter. It is much easier to pick up the excess glaze drips with a pastry scraper and drizzle over the bread a second or even a third time this way.

When making the glaze, start with the juice from 1/2 a lemon and add more as needed. Powdered sugar soaks up liquid like a sponge, so start with a little and add more as needed, instead of adding too much liquid at the start and having to add more and more sugar to get the consistency you want.

Lemon Glazed Blueberry Bread

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• Grated zest and 1/3 cup juice of 3 Meyer lemons
• 1  1/2 cups fresh blueberries, divided

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
• Meyer lemon juice

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard 9 x 5-inch (or preferably a 12x 4.5 x 2.5-inch) loaf pan with cooking spray.

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

In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.

Beat in eggs, vanilla, sour cream, lemon peel, and juice. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined, do not overmix.

Use a large spatula to fold in 1 cup of the blueberries.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of blueberries on top.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely.

Glaze: In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, lemon zest, and the juice from half a lemon. If needed, add the juice from the remaining half of the lemon.

Drizzle glaze over loaf. Let stand until set, for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for up to a week.

Makes 1 loaf