A little rambling...and some gluten free lemon bread

To say baking is a passion for me would be an understatement.

I love to bake.  Seriously.  Love it.

I lay awake at night thinking about attempting macaroons for the first time.  I am making mental notes about new flavor combinations for doughnuts while I blow dry my hair and I am usually fantasizing about opening a bakery when I drive into work.  So yeah, I have baking on the brain. Lately I am also constantly trying remake old recipes and create new ones that are gluten free but don't taste like it. We aren't strictly gluten free at our house but I try to be as much as possible because I just feel better when I am.  Crazy, but true.

This post is one of those gluten free attempts and I must say, I was pretty pleased with the results.

Please don't judge me by these photos.  A photographer I am CLEARLY not and these are from my cell phone camera.  I will try to do better in the future...but I might just be saying that.  Time will tell.

Gluten Free Glazed Lemon-Zucchini Bread
adapted from Lemon-Zucchini Loaf with Lemon Glaze @ nancycreative.com

• 2 cups self rising gluten free flour blend*
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour or use cooking spray to prepare a 9x5" loaf pan.

In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer beat the eggs and egg white for 1-2 minutes.  Add the oil and sugar and continue mixing for another minute.  Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until fulling incorporated.

Fold in zucchini to the wet ingredients and then gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is starting to lightly brown and toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan and place on cooling rack.

While the loaf cools in the pan, it's time to make the glaze.  Glaze...fancy word for a thinned out frosting.  In my world, frosting makes most things better. Whoever coined the phrase "icing on the cake" really new what was up.

Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• juice of 1 lemon

Combine sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until all lumps are gone.  If you prefer a more "frosting-like" consistency, add a little more sugar.  If you want to thin it out or pack a real lemon punch, add a little more juice.

After you have made your glaze and removed the loaf from the pan, use a toothpick or a skewer and poke holes all over the loaf, being careful not to poke through the bottom.  Take a pastry brush (I used a silicone one) or a spoon and spread about 1/3 of the frosting on your loaf.  Those little holes will allow some of the icing to ooze into the bread and add flavor and moisture.  Gluten free baked goods often dry out faster (there is a food science explanation for this...I will spare you the details, for today anyways) so this method will hopefully help offset that.  Wait 5-10 minutes and then brush or spoon the rest of your icing onto the loaf.

Lastly, enjoy!

If this bread is around long enough, wrap the fully cooled and glazed loaf in a little plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container.

*Self rising gluten free flour blend is a recipe from www.livingwithout.com and the blend is as follows:
2 1/2 cups sorghum flour (purchased at a local co-op)
2 1/2 cups fine white rice flour (purchased at a local co-op)
1 cup tapioca flour (purchased at a local co-op)
4 teaspoons xanthan gum (purchased at a local co-op)
8 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in an airtight container and once lid is secure, shake until fully mixed.  Best results when stored in the freezer.