Lemon Almond Bread

This bread is O.M.G. good. I'm not a big lemon fan... I don't use it in my tea. I don't drink lemonade. This bread though, was light and sweet and full of amazing flavor. I found the recipe through Pinterest (surprised?), and you can find the original post here: Lemon Almond Bread by Nancy Creative. This one is definitely a keeper. Here you go!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all–purpose flour (I like to use unbleached flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon extract
1-2 Tbsp grated lemon peel (the more you use, the more lemony the flavor)
1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs and mix well. 

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Blend in lemon juice, lemon extract, and lemon peel; then fold in almonds.

Spoon batter into the greased and floured loaf pan; bake at 350 degrees for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.

LEMON–SUGAR DRIZZLE

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

While loaf is cooling, mix the lemon juice and sugar together for the Lemon-Sugar drizzle; mix until sugar is dissolved (you can heat the mixture up in the microwave for about 10 seconds to help dissolve the sugar more quickly). After removing loaf from pan and while still warm, drizzle the lemon–sugar mixture over the top of the loaf and let cool completely.

LEMON GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8–1/4 cup sliced almonds

Blend powdered sugar and melted butter together; then add lemon juice and mix until well blended. Spoon glaze over cooled loaf; then sprinkle with sliced almonds. Let glaze set, and then reward your baking efforts with a nice thick slice of lemony sweetness!

Zucchini Muffins

The other day, I went on a quest to find some muffin recipes to try so that my daughter could have some new treats for breakfast. I found several recipes that I'm going to try, and of course, I pinned the recipes I found to my Pinterest. This particular recipe is for Zucchini Muffins. They were surprisingly easy to make, and I think they turned out pretty good. I believe the next time I make them I will use 1 1/4 or 1/2 cups of sugar to sweeten them just a little bit more. My daughter said they were really good and ate the entire muffin... until I told her what they were. lol

2 medium eggs
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of shredded zucchini (I used two zucchinis, which was a bit more than 1 cup)
1 1/2 cup of sugar
½ cup of vegetable oil
½ cup of chopped walnuts
1 tsp of baking soda
½ tsp of salt
¼ tsp of baking powder
1 tsp (heaping) cinnamon

Mix together the vegetable oil, sugar and eggs. Add the shredded zucchini, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Lightly grease muffin pan, then fill two-thirds full with the mixture. I was able to fill a mini-muffin pan, and 9/12 of a regular muffin pan. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes for regular muffins, 10-15 minutes for mini-muffins. Tops should begin to turn a golden brown color, and you can use the toothpick test to ensure they are done.