Double-lemon Gingerbread

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 2 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f (180°c). lightly oil or coat a 9x5-inch (1.5-l) loaf pan or 3 5x3-inch (400-ml) mini loaf pans with cooking spray.
• 2 finely grate 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon peel and squeeze out 5 tbsp (75 ml) juice from lemons.
• 3 in a medium-size bowl, using a fork, stir flour with baking powder, salt, nutmeg and lemon peel.
• 4 place butter in a large bowl. using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat butter until creamy.
• 5 gradually beat in 1 cup (250 ml) sugar until mixture is pale in colour, from 1 to 2 minutes.
• 6 beat in 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice. don't worry if batter looks slightly curdled--it won't affect baking.
• 7 add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
• 8 beat in vanilla. reduce speed to low. gradually beat in 1/3 of flour mixture, then 1/2 of milk.
• 9 repeat additions, ending with remaining flour and beating until just blended.
• 10 using a wooden spoon, stir in ginger until evenly distributed.
• 11 scrape batter into large loaf pan or divide between mini loaf pans, then smooth top. bake in centre of preheated 350°f (180°c) oven until a cake tester or thin knife inserted into centre of loaf comes out clean, from 1 to 1-1/4 hours for a large loaf or 35 to 40 minutes for mini loaves. check large loaf after 50 minutes of baking. if edges are a deep golden brown, loosely cover with a piece of foil for remaining baking time.
• 12 meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk remaining 3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice with remaining 1/4 cup (50 ml) sugar until dissolved.
• 13 remove loaf from oven. set pan on a rack. spoon half of glaze overtop hot loaf or loaves in pan. use back of spoon to evenly spread glaze.
• 14 let sit for 10 minutes, then spoon remaining glaze overtop. leave loaf in pan until cool. run a sharp knife around edges of pan and turn out.
• 15 place loaf glaze-side up on a serving plate or cutting board. slice and serve immediately or wrap cooled loaf in waxed paper, then foil.
• 16 loaf will keep well, refrigerated, up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month. or wrap for gift giving.