Linda's Lemon Verbena Bread

 Lemon Verbena is one of my favorite

herbs to grow.  Brush your hand across the leaves

and the aroma is absolutely lemony.  

I've grown lemon verbena for years

 and never used it as an herb,

until this past week.

 I decided to try a recipe found on Linda's

Prairie Flower Farm Blog.

Time for tea out on the deck.

This is  Linda's lemon verbena bread and jasmine tea.

Talk about smelling wonderful.

The jasmine tea perfumes the air around you,

and the lemon scent from the bread. ~~ Oh my goodness!

You can use dried lemon verbena leaves as a tea also.

I should try that someday.

The tea towel is one that I picked up at the

American Cancer Society Tea/Boutique. 

 It has four of those tea pots appliqued across the bottom.

Grab your cup of tea and  check out Linda's blog.

   http://prairieflowerfarm.blogspot.com/

Here's her  handy  recipe print out link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/prairieflowerfarm/LemonVerbenaBreadRecipe#5361426046572616226

Please  print out the recipe from that link. 

 You'll get a cute recipe page  adorned

with red rick~rack and flowers.

It felt weird  to take food out on the deck

to take photos.   Rick says as long as I don't have

imaginary friends out there enjoying tea with me,

it's perfectly OK.   I did drink the tea, but I added  those

three slices of "mini  loaf size " tea bread  to the plate

I took to Seniors for game day. 

Everyone loved it.

Thanks Linda!

Lemon Verbena Bread

1 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped lemon verbena leaves

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup milk

grated rind of 1 lemon

2 eggs

Glaze:

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon lemon verbena leaves, chopped

juice of 1 lemon

Cream butter with verbena leaves in mixer or food processor.  Add sugar and beat well, then eggs, salt, and remaing ingredients.  Grease loaf pans: 1 large, 2 small, or 4 mini loaf pans.  Pour in batter about 1/2 full.  Bake at 350*F for 30 to 45 minutes depending on pan size.  Test bread by using a toothpick or cake tester.  Meanwhile, prepare glaze.  Mix ingredients listed.  Leave loaf in pan.  While it's still hot, pour glaze over it and let sit several hours.  Remove loaf from pan.  Wrap in foil to ripen overnight before serving or freeze immediately.  You may garnish it with whatever leaves or blooms are on hand.  Verbena leaves, lavender blossoms, violets or small roses are beautiful.  It freezes well.