Mojito Bread, 'nuf said

Not to sound like a lush, but one of my favorite things about summer is the cocktails.  They are all so light and fresh.  They just put that extra bounce in any meal.  Being an over-achiever, I decided I to take my love of libations a step further and I found this delicious Mojito bread recipe.  It's surprisingly easy and I think you'll love the results...

courtesy; TasteSpotting.com

My version, which turns out more like a cake, is after the jump...


This is the perfect bread for a weekend brunch.  It's clean and moist and it doesn't need anything if you do it right. 

Ingredients

I love that you can see the zest and chopped mint!

Finely grated zest of two limes
12 cleaned and chopped mint leaves
1 cup sugar or sugar substitute
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

For syrup:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 and butter a loaf pan.

2. Combine lime zest, mint, and sugar in a bowl and mash to release oils in the lime zest and mint leaves.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl

3. Blend sugar mixture and butter with a stand mixer until fluffy.  Add lime juice, then eggs. Beat until smooth.

4. Include milk, and slowly add in flour mix. 


5.  Pour the batter into the loaf pan, place on a middle rack in the oven and bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. While the loaf is baking, combine the syrup ingredients until sugar is completely dissolved.

7. When the loaf comes out of the oven, poke holes all over the top with a thin knife or a cake tester (or a toothpick), and then pour the syrup evenly over the top.

8. Let the loaf cool – in the pan – for an hour before removing from pan.