quick lemon bread

What would you do if you suddenly had multiple cans of evaporated milk that were on the verge of expiring and therefore needed to be used immediately?  Well, if you’re anything like me, you would have absolutely no clue because evaporated milk is an ingredient only used once per year when making the pumpkin pie recipe off the back of the Libby’s can.  Last week though, I found four cans of of the stuff innocently sitting on the kitchen counter, as if they had perhaps been overlooked when the rest of the groceries were put away.  Like, “Oops, I left out the evaporated milk again!”  But I’m smarter than that.  I knew how they got there.

We – and by we, I mean Beau – have closet full of emergency food.  In fact, we have all kinds of emergency supplies taking up precious space in our small abode, and Beau is kind of obsessed with it.  Of course, that’s not a bad thing considering we live in earthquake territory, but it’s a little out of control – so much so that I “shop” from the emergency cabinet whenever I need something I’m out of in the regular kitchen.  This is very helpful to me, but irritating to Beau.  The flip side of that is when he periodically scours the cabinet, weeding out the items that are nearing their expiration dates, which is when I find cans of tuna, or boxes of noodles, or four cans of evaporated milk sitting on the counter, impatiently waiting for me to use them up.  I guess you could say it’s a little game we play called “See Who Can Piss Their Spouse Off More: the Canned Food Version.”

As I mentioned, I only use evaporated milk once per year when I make pumpkin pie, and beyond that I’ve never given it much thought.  So, when faced with using approximately fifty ounces of it, the questions started swirling around my brain: “What the hell is evaporated milk?”  “Why would a person use evaporated vs. regular milk?”  “Who thought to evaporate milk, anyway, and why?”  “How did I end up married to a person who stores evaporated milk and then leaves it on counters for me to deal with?”

And then, after a bit of research and some soul-searching, the answers: “Fresh milk that has had 60% of its water removed is ‘evaporated.’”  (I had figured as much.) “Evaporated milk is primarily used in dessert recipes and for baking because of it’s concentrated flavor, and it can also substitute for cream.”  “Elbridge Amos Stuart was a pioneer of evaporated milk, which was popular in the late 19th and early-mid 20th centuries because it did not require refrigeration, had a long shelf life, and the ability to be easily shipped.”  “Because no matter the fact that Beau puts me in these predicaments, I love him.  And also, because I’ll get him back when he realizes all the canned beans are missing.”

Quick Lemon Bread

The last thing I need sitting around my house is an entire loaf of lemon bread, and so without anyone to foist it upon, I decided to slice it up and store it in the freezer.  That way, I can take it out and enjoy it when calories and fat no longer matter.  Oh, wait…

I realize this bread is remarkably similar to Ina’s Lemon Yogurt Cake – and this is probably the worst offense I could commit against this newer version – but really, if you’re going to make a lemon loaf cake, make Ina’s.  There, I said it.

Ingredients

1½ cups flour
2/3 + ¼ cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease and flour an 8×4 loaf pan (I used a 9×5 and my bread was quite short).

In a large bowl combine the flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a medium bowl beat the eggs, milk, oil and zest.  Mix the wet and dry ingredients, pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake 55-60 minutes.

When the cake is the final stage of baking (last 10-15 minutes or so), prepare a lemon syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the ¼ cup sugar with the juice of the lemon (about ¼ cup).  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved and the liquid has thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

Remove cake from oven, testing to make sure a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, and poke numerous holes in the hot bread, piercing all the way to the bottom.  Drizzle the hot lemon syrup over the bread and let it soak in for about 15 minutes.  Invert bread from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

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Recipe adapted from the Carnation website.