LEMON-BLACK WALNUT BREAD, SILVER PALATE

Lemon-Black Walnut Bread

This recipe is from The Silver Palate Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (Workman, 1982).

Mike Petrucelli for NPR

Makes 2 loaves

1/2 pound (2 sticks) sweet (unsalted) butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, separated

2/3 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated lemon rind

3 cups cake flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

Pinch of salt

1 cup shelled black walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter two loaf pans (9-by-3 inches) with 3 tablespoons of the butter.

In a mixing bowl, cream together remaining butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then stir in 1/3 cup of the lemon juice and the grated lemon rind.

Combine cake flour with baking powder. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Then add half of the milk, another third of the flour mixture, remaining milk and remaining flour. Do not overmix.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites and pinch of salt together until stiff but not dry. Fold beaten egg whites and black walnuts gently into the batter.

Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake on the middle oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean.

Cool bread slightly, remove from pans, then cool completely on a rack.

Boil the remaining 1/3 cup of the lemon juice, water and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar together in a small saucepan for 2 minutes.

Drizzle the lemon syrup over the loaves and let them cool completely before wrapping.