Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Lemon~Pecan Tea Loaf & December's Apron Give-Away

A rainy day...and thanking Mother Nature that we're not in the path of snow...left me thinking something baked would be delightful. I teetered between chocolate and lemon, but after talking with my sister this morning, I decided on lemon, which is her favorite.

Besides cranberries, pumpkin and gingerbread, I like to bake with citrus fruits during the holiday season. Today they brought back memories of getting oranges (and apples) in my stocking and my mother baking her infamous Lemon Cheesecake. After watching the weather channel this morning--yes, I'm one of those people!, the meteorologist was saying what beautiful weather Florida was having, in fact, the hottest in the country at 85 degrees and the citrus growers were thankful--which I took as a sign!  Lemons remind me of sunshine, which I was so hoping for, and after baking this tea loaf, that's exactly what it tasted like.

Lemon~Pecan Tea Loaf
Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.  Butter and line a "Pullman" loaf pan with parchment paper, then, butter again.  You could also use a mini Bundt pan or muffin pan.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1-3 oz. box Instant Jell-O Lemon Pudding
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon (use the other half in the glaze)
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Lemon Bits
3/4 cup Pecans, chopped
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter and oil until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time and mix thoroughly, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the pudding, lemon zest and lemon juice (about 1 1/2-2 T) and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients with the yogurt/milk and mix on medium speed until combined.  Stir in the lemon bits and chopped pecans.  Spoon into the prepared pan.
 Bake for 70-75 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out cleanly from the center.  Allow to cool about 10 minutes before turning out onto a serving platter.
 A lovely slice of this tea load is all I needed to excite me to get busy and sew this month's apron.  Even though I haven't done much decorating in the rental, the colors in this apron spoke volumes of the holiday.  Post a comment during this month and you will could be baking with this apron in January!
Stay warm and take a break with a cup of tea, cocoa, or as my sister prefers, coffee with a slice of this merry little tea loaf. Enjoy!


22 comments:

  1. It's cold here today..it was a gingerbread day!
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mmmmmmmmm lemon and nuts....great combination!
    stamping sue
    http://stampingsueinconnecticut.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi dear, This looks GREAT. Every time I tie your apron around my waist I smile from ear to ear. You are someone very special.

    Love,

    S

    ReplyDelete
  4. Look how pretty your new apron is. Don't enter me...I hope someone new gets one of your special aprons. It makes us better cooks! heehee! Sweet hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lemon always sounds good and during the winter makes me feel sunny! The December apron is so pretty as always! Hugs, Linda

    ReplyDelete
  6. That loaf looks so good. I want to find a pan that shape. What a pretty apron for January. Wanted to let you know that my homemade vanilla is so delicious made with the vanilla beans you sent me. I just found the bottle tucked under the counter! Just in time!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Suddenly I'm craving lemon bread. Sounds like a great weekend project. Thanks for the idea.

    ReplyDelete
  8. aw susan, lemon jello reminds me of my granma. i love this recipe and have already written it down, thank you! and i LOVE LOVE this apron, it SO pretty!!

    p.s. i watch the weather channel too,and have all my kids and friends towns in my phone so i can see the weather everyday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Past...it's the first thing I ask when friends and family call..."what's your weather like?" Do I need help:-)

      Delete
  9. Susan -
    Your apron for the give away in January is just gorgeous! Whoever wins one of your cute aprons is a lucky baker.
    I love using citrus in my baking also. Orange & cranberries is my favorite combo, but lemon is a close runner-up. I was about to start making your Lemon & cranberry tea loaf, for one of my elderly elderly neighbors & I also planned to make the cranberry pistachio bunt cake from your last post, but I need to ask you about the Jello pudding they both call for. Did you use instant or cook & serve Jello?
    Thank you for another nice post & another wonderful recipe that I will be using to make Christmas gift baskets.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ellen, I used the Instant Jell-O Pudding in both of these recipes. I'll go back and add that. Your neighbors are lucky to have you, XOXO

      Delete
  10. I love lemon bread. My aunt used to make a lemon dessert she brought to our Christmas parties every year. jenndiggy at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. The tea loaf looks scrumptious, and the December apron is beautiful and festive!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Susan, I cannot wait to try this. I am going to pass this along to my sister in Florida as she LOVES anything lemon!

    ReplyDelete
  13. You nailed it again, Sis!! The Lemon-Pecan Loaf looks delightful and would be great with my 3:00 coffee! Beautiful apron too! Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  14. Susan dear, please see my fb photo and comment today. My dear friend is fighting for her life and is asking folks to order holiday gifts from her company futurepearlcompany.com. She has exhausted all treatments and all money. She is in line for some trials. I pray she gets the chance at them. She is young with a young family. I know this resonates with you.
    Love you,

    S

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will be happy to. Thank you, Sharon...my thoughts and prayers go out to your dear friend, XOXO

      Delete
  15. You must have known that I love citrus! This sweet tangy tea loaf looks wonderful.
    p.s I did use soya milk in baking sweet buns before, and they turned out great too. So I assume that rice or soya milk will work just fine.

    ReplyDelete
  16. HI, beautiful Post! I will save this recipe for sure+try it>looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing! MERRY CHRISTMAS !

    msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love lemon cake, bread, bars, anything really. :) I'm a huge fan of the addition of the pudding mix, too. I bet this is great for breakfast...Something to think about making for myself now that cookie baking is done. We're in the 60s this week, with very cold morning. I love it when it's cold, yet sunny. Enjoy this holiday week, my friend! Lv, me

    ReplyDelete
  18. The lemon-pecan tea loaf sounds yummy!! And the apron is so pretty and festive! Happy New Year!

    SusLee

    ReplyDelete