Lemon Blueberry Loaf (from your muffin recipe)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment, leaving a 1–2 inch overhang for easy removal — this is a granny trick that saves trouble later.

2. 2

   In a large bowl whisk the melted butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, milk (or buttermilk), lemon juice, and lemon zest; whisk until combined.

3. 3

   In a separate bowl sift (or whisk) together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. 4

   Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold gently until just combined — don’t overmix, dear, or the loaf will be tough.

5. 5

   Toss the blueberries with a teaspoon of flour (this helps keep them from sinking) and fold them in gently.

6. 6

   Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle a little extra lemon zest and a pinch of sugar on top if you like a sparkly crust.

7. 7

   Bake 50–65 minutes, checking at 50 minutes. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter. If the top is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

8. 8

   Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment and cool another 20–30 minutes before glazing or slicing — warm loaf is tempting but can be crumbly.

9. 9

   Optional: Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice to make a glaze. Drizzle over the cooled loaf and let set for a few minutes.