For me, citrus flavors bring me to springtime. A warm cup of afternoon tea and a bite of a lemon dessert is perfect for a crisp spring day. I was able to sample some Rodelle extracts and with the lemon extract, this was the perfect opportunity to make a lemon loaf!
Ingredients:
For the loaf-
2 Tsp lemon extract
1 and 1/2 cups of flour
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 Tsp baking powder
1/3 cup of sugar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tsp vanilla
1 cup of sour cream
Lemon zest from half of a lemon
For the crumble topping-
1 Tbsp butter, cold
2 Tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour
A pinch of lemon zest
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9″ x 12″ loaf pan with cooking oil spray. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder and add the remaining ingredients. Mix until well blended and there are no lumps of flour or sugar. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping and use a fork to break up the cold butter and gently mix with the flow, sugar and cinnamon. Evenly coat the top of the batter in the pan with the topping mixture. Place the pan into the oven for 35-40 minutes, checking to ensure that the batter has cooked through. I found that 40 minutes was perfect for me but it really does depend upon your oven. You can also choose to make a lemon glaze by mixing 1 cup of confectioners sugar with 1 1/2 Tsp lemon juice and a pinch of lemon zest. Heat over the stovetop in a small pot until the sugar has dissolved and a thicker liquid has formed. You can choose to drizzle the glaze over the loaf as it is cooling or you can do it right before serving. Either way, your guests will enjoy a slice of this loaf with some coffee or tea. Enjoy and let me know if you choose any variations on the recipe!