Yummy delicious Lemon Verbena bread- end of summer delight!

Lemon Verbena Bread

 

Today at Plan B- Lifestyle the outside of the shop got some sprucing up by painting the window boxes that I have been starting at all summer.  It’s not a typical summer day here in Upstate New York, rather unseasonably cold only about 60 degrees and a cloudy day.

It’s sad to think in a few short weeks it will be fall and then the dreaded winter.  But enough of that, I wanted to feel the sun today, so without the big yellow circle in the sky, I decided to walk through the garden and what I could make fresh- I had been eyeing the lemon verbena for a few weeks, and in the last week or so the plant has really bushed out.  I love when you walk by and brush against it the lemon aroma is truly unbelievable!  Lemon verbena is an old herb, used in the Victorian days for sachets, teas, and hair rinse.  It’s hard to find in this area, and each year I seem to buy “the last one”.  Honestly I think the greenhouses only have a couple in stock to begin with.

Lemon Verbena is a bushy type plant with nice, somewhat rough leaves.  Mine has only grown about 18″ high and about the same wide. I have made lemon verbena bread for the last couple of years, once I discovered the herb.  I usually top it off with candied violets, but alas, have none of those in my garden this year.

The recipe is fairly easy and hopefully you can try it out sometime.  It’s sour and sweet and the lemon taste is shocking for those who have never had it before.  Recipe follows.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup fresh lemon verbena leaf finely chopped

i cup sugar

2 large eggs

pinch of salt

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

rind of one grated lemon

GLAZE

1/2 cup flower

juice from one lemon

1/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh lemon verbena leaves

top with candied flowers- violets, johnny jumps ups

DIRECTIONS

1. Cream together butter and lemon verbena leaves

2.. add sugar, eggs, and milk beat well

3. add remaining ingredients mix well

4. grease loaf pan, preheat oven to 350

5. bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes

6. Pour glaze over bread while in pan and still warm

This can be served warm or can be frozen.  Great treat when that snow begins to fall. 🙂