Nieves' Lemon Bread

For this family recipe I had to travel a long way to get it. One of those dishes that is one person’s trademark and she makes it without a written recipe. When you ask for the recipe he/she lists the ingredients but cannot tell you the exact amounts…  what a nightmare! Ja, ja!

Nieves showing me how to make her traditional lemon bread Summer 1998

It is a simple lemon bread that reminds me of frequent trips to Spain during my childhood. In the summer of 1997 my younger brothers, in their teens at the time, spent about 3 weeks visiting relatives in Spain in which they asked Nieves (my great-grandmother’s housekeeper, family-nanny, cook and companion for over 60 years and whom we consider to be part of our family) everyday to make the lemon bread for them . I only had the chance to join them for about 1 week and a half because of work, but it a was a summer I will never forget.  We got a chance to spend time with our Spanish cousins, listen to family stories and get to know the Spanish countryside.  In addition, our group of about 15 family members travelled throughout the region in a bus and stayed in “turismo rural” or country homes from former well to do families that had been renovated with government money and turned into bed and breakfasts.  It was a well planned family trip full of history and natural beauty.

Monastery on the Galician countryside Summer 1997

When I got back to Puerto Rico, I met my husband Emilio and by next summer we were already married. So, for part of our honeymoon, we decided to go to Spain since my husband had not visited the country.  One afternoon, upon arrival to our beautiful historic hotel, Hostal de los Reyes Católicos in Santiago de Compostela, Nieves called and invited us for a late lunch.  I said I would go but with the condition that she taught me how to make her world famous lemon bread (I could not return to America without the recipe because my brother Joaco would kill me!). She accepted and in June 1998 she showed me (Emilio recorded the event) how to make it.  It was in a tiny kitchen in the third floor of my great-grandmother’s house on Marina Street in Villagarcia with a small gas oven and in a beaten cake pan with a hole in the middle that wobbled.  She took the sugar, flour, salt, vegetable oil and baking powder from her pantry and eggs, lemon and yogurt (her secret ingredient) from the small fridge.  She did not use measuring cups or spoons. Instead, she used the same cup in which the yogurt came in to measure all ingredients and a soup spoon to measure the baking powder. She used a lot of baking powder in relation to the amount of flour used which for some reason (I will be researching that soon!) makes it more rustic and crumbly, like the texture of corn bread but moist at the same time I guess because of the oil and yogurt (which is why I call it lemon bread instead of cake). I have tried using a lot less baking powder and the result is a delicious smooth fluffy lemon cake, but that’s another recipe. Anyway, she mixed all ingredients with a hand mixer and was very specific about not over mixing and first cooking the cake at approximately 400º f for the first 15 minutes and 350ºf for the remaining 30 minutes to get that golden brown finish.  Once I got back home, I converted the measurements and created a recipe that could be measured in cups and teaspoons and the results were very similar to the original according to my “tasters”.  Great for breakfast on a weekend morning (my kids love it!) or as a snack with coffee or tea.  Also, good with a glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for desert…yummy!

Here is my version of Nieves’ Lemon Bread.

PS:  As many of you know, I was in the hospital last week for 4 days, I have no words to thank my family and friends for their company, support and words of encouragement during tough times.  However, I can show them by making this lemon bread for some of them to tell them how grateful I am that they are in my life.

Enjoy!

Nieves’ Lemon Bread

Ingredients

4 eggs

250 g of lemon or vanilla yogurt

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tbsp baking powder

pinch of salt

zest of one yellow lemon

1 tbsp butter for greasing pan (approximately)

Procedure

1.    Turn oven on 400ºf.  Butter standard loaf pan (approx. 10 x5)

2     In a bowl put flour, baking powder and salt and mix well.

3.  In another bowl, beat eggs. Then add sugar, vegetable oil and yogurt and continue to mix with a whisk or mixer until all ingredients are incorporated for about 2 minutes.

4.  Add flour, salt and baking powder mixture in batches of three. Do not over mix.

5.  Add lemon zest and mix by hand with a spatula or whisk.

6.  Bake at 400º f for 15 minutes and lower to 350ºf for the remaining 30 minutes in middle rack. Do not open oven at any time until finished baking.  Ovens vary so pay attention the first time you make it to make any adjustments.

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17 Comments Add yours

  1. youngwifey says:

    What a beautiful pan!

    1. foodielady says:

      thanks! have two of them. found the second one at marshall’s store.

  2. wow, thanks for the recipe! Looks amazing! 🙂

  3. Eni says:

    Todo lo que haces te queda tan bonito y se ve “tempting”. Disfruto de la historia que acompana las recetas y las fotos del proceso. Esta receta del Lemon Bread la pienso hacer este fin de semnana.

    1. foodielady says:

      gracias eni: cuentame como te quedo el bizcocho. es para chuparse los dedos!

  4. Liza M. Rosa says:

    Hola! Lo trate este fin de semana y quedo bien bueno! Hay alguna diferencia en el sabor de usar un yogurt o el otro?

    1. foodielady says:

      Brava Lisa! estas hecha una repostera! no hay tanta diferencia en cual yogurt uses, pero el sabor a limon es un poquito mas intenso con el yogurt de limon que el de vainilla.

  5. What a lovely blog you have! The lemon bread looks delicious! One question – during your travels in Spain, did you ever come across a recipe for traditional migas? I watched them making it on a Spanish cooking show recently, and they used torn up old bread, chorizo, onion and oil, all fried together, then served with Manchego cheese and grapes. Over here in Australia, it’s hard to get good Spanish chorizo, so my attempts at it so far have been a bit pitiful! 🙂

    Thanks, Celia

    1. foodielady says:

      i do not have a recipe for migas, but found one without chorizo you might like. http://www.spain-recipes.com/migas.html

      aleida

      1. Thank you! I’ll check it out… Celia

  6. Paola says:

    Este fin de semana prepare esta receta y quedo ESPECTACULAR!!!

    Gracias mil ; )

    1. foodielady says:

      que bueno paola! me encantan los success stories en la cocina! espero verte pronto!

  7. Wilma vega says:

    Gracias por compartir tus recetas debes publicar un libro . me encantan las historias que Dan la introduccion a las recetas !

    1. foodielady says:

      estimada wilma: aunque no lo creas todo esto del blog comenzo por mi interes de escribir un libro. asi que esta en mis planes algun dia lograrlo. gracias por visitar el blog. dejame saber como quedan las recetas preparandolas en tu casa!

  8. Luzette Mulero-Reid says:

    Me encanta tu blog. El lemon bread lo he hecho 2 veces.. De show! Me trae recuerdos de un bizcocho que hacia una tia abuela mia en P.R.

    1. foodielady says:

      luzette: ese lemon bread es legendario! ja! rico, rico. tiene muchos followers. gracias por tus comentarios.

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