Lemony Friendship Bread

by Millie Bentley

Greetings. This recipe comes from an old friend Bert Monfort. She stayed with us here at the B&B many years ago and was impressed with the friendship bread that we served (especially since her daughter Suz, baked it). She wanted to send us one of her bread recipes to share. It’s good.

Bert’s Lemon Bread

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

Rind of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup milk

½ cup pecans, finely chopped

2 teaspoons flour

Topping

½ cup powdered sugar

juice of one lemon

Cream together sugar and butter with an electric mixer or by hand. Add salt, grated lemon rind and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg is added. Sift together flour and baking powder; add to batter alternately with milk, beating well. Sprinkle a little flour (two teaspoons) over nuts and stir into batter. Pour batter into a well-greased 9-by-5-by-4 inch loaf pan and bake about one hour in a 325˚F oven. Test by pressing lightly on top of loaf. If it springs back, it’s done. Remove from oven. Mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar and spoon it over the hot bread. Allow loaf to cool in pan.

“The lemon sugar will permeate and enhance the flavor,” said Bert. And I can vouch for that. Yum!

Well, time to get to work. Can’t sit here all day gazing at the river, but it’s good to be able to glance at it during the day – to know it’s there. One feels a strong sense of thanks for all the things the river offers to us. What do we give in return? Until next week, dear friends, vaya con Dios.