Citrus Berry Bread for Breakfast, Snack or Dessert!

Since I’m not a big dessert eater, I prefer making sweets that can serve multiple purposes. This Lemon Scented Blueberry Bread is a wonderful example of something that goes equally well as a breakfast side, a snack with afternoon tea or as a dessert topped with extra berries and a dollop of creme fraiche. The lemon juice in the recipe offsets the sugar keeping it in the medium-sweet category. You can substitute or combine other citrus juices, vary the berries or use brown sugar as an alternate. There are several variations that would work nicely with this recipe.

You can opt to ice the bread with a lemony glaze as I did or none at all. It adds a nice moist finish to the bread but is not critical to the flavor as the bread is quite moist itself.

I served it as a side with a light breakfast of baked eggs, fresh cut grapefruit and cappuccino. A perfect way to start a beautiful weekend morning!

LEMON SCENTED BLUEBERRY BREAD

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 1 cup  butter
• 2 cups  sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2⁄3 cup  buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons tightly packed lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 8 ounces  blueberries

• Icing

• 1/2 cup  powdered sugar
• 1⁄8 cup  butter, melted
• 3/4 tablespoons tightly packed lemon zest 
• 1⁄8 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Grease and flour two loaf pans.
3. Cream butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs and beat until smooth.
5. Add buttermilk.
6. Mix dry ingredients together and add to buttermilk mixture.
7. Blend well.
8. Mix in lemon juice and zest.
9. Gently fold in blueberries and only mix until incorporated.
10. Pour batter into loaf pans.
11. Bake loaves on the middle rack of the oven for 60 to 65 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick test comes out clean.
12. Cool bread 10 minutes, remove from pan and place on a plate top side up.
13. For icing: Combind icing ingredients in a bowl.
14. Beat icing with an electric mixer until smooth.
15. Drizzle icing over the warm loaves.
16. The icing will harden when the bread cools to room temperature.

(Printable recipe can be found in my recipe index under Desserts)