Whole Meyer Lemon Loaf
A quick survey of our kitchen at this time of year it is clear we are in the midst of the citrus season. Meyer lemons from a friend's tree, limes from my Dads property, and a selection of oranges and mandarins fill our fruit bowls. This loaf contains a whole raw lemon; zest, pith, juice and all. The result is a moist crumb, with a hint of marmalade. It is good just as it is, or add an extra citrus kick with a lemon drizzle syrup.
Ingredients
- 1 small Meyer lemon, about 120g
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup (70g) sugar or ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup (125ml) yoghurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (150g) standard white flour or use gluten-free flour mix
- ½ cup (60g) ground almonds or desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt
Lemon Drizzle Syrup
- 3 tbsp lemon juice, about ½ Meyer lemon
- ½ cup (70g) icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan bake 160ºC). Grease and line a 20cm x 11cm x 7cm loaf tin.
- Cut the whole lemon into eighths and flick out any pips. Place the lemon wedges into a food processor along with the eggs, sugar/honey, yoghurt and vanilla. Blend for 1 minute until combined and the sugar/honey has dissolved.
- Measure the flour, ground almonds/coconut, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine and break up any lumps. Add to the processor and pulse 6 times, scrape down the sides, then pulse again briefly until just combined – don’t over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cover with foil, if the top begins to colour.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then invert onto a rack and cool completely.
- To make the Lemon Drizzle Syrup, combine the lemon juice and icing sugar in a bowl, mixing well to remove lumps. Place the cooled loaf on a serving platter and spoon over the syrup.
- Serve thick slices with yoghurt on the side. Keep the loaf in a sealed container and consume it within 3 days.