Lavender & Lemon Bread

Batter:

1/2 cup (115 grams) butter, softened
1 cup (400 grams) sugar
3 eggs
zest 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
2/3 cup (155 ml) whole or almond milk
1 1/2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
2 cups (260 grams) AP/plain flour
1 teaspoon baking power
1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze:

1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers
zest 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup (130 grams) powdered/icing sugar

Preheat oven to 350F / 180C

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix in the milk and lavender flowers until smooth. Let sit 1 to 2 minutes to dehydrate the flowers.

Meanwhile in a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt.

When the flowers are hydrated enough, mix the flour slowly into into the butter mixture. Make sure all dry ingredients are moist. The batter will be heavy.

Butter the heck out of a two loaf pans. The butter will add flavor and help to keep from sticking.

Divide the batter between two loaf pans and bake at 350F / 180C  for 40 to 45 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

While the bread cooks prepare your glaze. Whisk together the flowers, lemon zest, lemon juice and powered/icing sugar. You can add more of the powdered sugar if you want a thicker glaze but remember the goal is a glaze that will soak into the bread not a heavy icing.

When the bread is still warm out of the oven, poke holes in it with a fork - don't rake into it. You just want some holes in it for the glaze to sink into. Pour the glaze over the the bread and let it cool in the loaf pans a good 10 minutes and the glaze soaks into the top.

Loosen the  bread with a butter knife or spatula from around the sides. If you used enough butter the bread should slide right out of the pans. Let the bread finish cooling a bit before you slice into it but still a bit warm.

Source: The Unofficial Hobbit Cookery