Culinary Alchemy: Thyme For Tea and Quick Bread

I sometimes forget, in my obsession with all things coffee, that I truly enjoy a good cup of tea every now and then. Darjeeling and Earl Grey being my favorites. Though I must be honest; I enjoy my tea more when it is accompanied by little sweet treats. Yes, you can have coffee cake with your coffee, but those delightfully English contributions to the "art" of tea consumption are phenomenal.

This "Tea Bread" is near and dear to my taste buds. It's a harmonious partner to Darjeeling and, to top it off, it has one of those slightly unexpected ingredients that sounds odd, but once you taste it you will smack your forehead and exclaim, "Why have I not been doing this my whole life!"

Prepare yourself for the epiphany of......... Lemon Thyme Bread.

It doesn't sound all that transcendental at first, until you realize that this is a sweet quick bread, complete with a delightful lemon glaze. There is just something special about the lemony herbal zing of Lemon Thyme that works so well in this bread. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Lemon Thyme Tea Bread

Printable Recipe
6 TB Unsalted Butter
1 cup (199 g) (7 oz) Granulated Sugar
2 cups (275 g) (9.8 oz) AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
2 Large Eggs
1 TB Lemon Zest (about 1 Lemon)
4 TB Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice; Divided
2 TB Fresh Lemon Thyme, chopped
2/3 cup (175 ml) Whole Milk
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 oz) Confectioners' Sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees, then butter and flour a 9x5 bread pan. (Yes, I drug out the old Corningware again... LOL)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine Butter and Sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the AP Flour, Baking Powder and Kosher Salt together, then set aside.

When the Butter/Sugar is light and fluffy, add the eggs 1 at a time; beating well until fully incorporated before adding the next.

Add the Lemon Zest, and 2 TB of the Lemon Juice, mixing well until distributed throughout the batter.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the Milk and Flour mixture alternating, beginning and ending with the Flour. (You know the drill.... about 1/3 of the Flour, 1/2 of the Milk, 1/2 the remaining Flour, the remaining Milk, the remaining Flour)

Fold in the Lemon Thyme.

Spread the resulting batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick, inserted in the center of the bread, comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack set over a piece of waxed paper. (too catch the glaze run-off)