Recipe: Lemon and Pine Drizzle Loaf
At this time of year so many plants are in bud and trees are in leaf and the foraging season is well underway hooray. This is the best time of year to forage young pine buds which are more tender and flavourful than the mature pine needles. Larch buds are easy to notice as they are a vivid green and form soft brushes of new growth that are easily reached on low hanging branches. It is delicious made into a pine sugar which I talk you through in this recipe with tips for safe pine foraging. Here the aromatic notes of pine add a grown up twist to a traditional lemon drizzle loaf.
ingredients
100g pine sugar
100g unsalted butter
2 eggs
120g self raising flour
Zest of half a lemon
For the drizzle
50g pine sugar
Juice of one lemon and the remaining zest
Method
Preheat your oven to 170°C or 150°C fan and grease and line a loaf tin. Cream the butter and sugar until light and very fluffy around five minutes. Add the eggs one at a time with a little flour then fold in the rest of the flour until you have a loose batter.
Transfer the batter to the lined tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly then turn out of the tin to cool a little more.
Prepare the drizzle by mixing the pine sugar with the lemon juice. Use a skewer to make holes in the surface of the loaf then pour over the lemon and pine sugar mixture. Allow to set then slice and serve.
A Seasonal Note
Published in late May this recipe sits in the fresh green energy of early Litha when new growth is everywhere and the landscape feels bright and aromatic. Pine buds capture the essence of this moment with their tender citrusy scent and vivid colour. Paired with lemon they make a loaf that tastes like the very start of Summer light sharp and full of the season’s promise.
