Isn’t that gorgeous bread?  Almost too pretty to eat, almost!  We didn’t get to eat it though as it was a thank you gift for our friend Chris who helped us out when we needed it.  This is a recipe that I’ve had and wanted to make for a while now; it is from the April/May 2008 issue of the “Taste of Home” magazine.  Smelled so delicious while baking, I can only imagine how it tastes!  🙂

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel (I used all the peel from 1 large lemon)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1  Cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and mix well.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt then add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.  Fold in pecans and lemon peel.

2  Transfer to a greased 9 x 5 x 3″ loaf pan.  Bake at 350 for 50 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

3  Combine lemon juice and remaining sugar in a small saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over warm bread.  Cool completely on wire rack before removing from pan.  (Don’t get freaked out when you pour this syrup over the loaf of bread like I did, there will be a lot of liquid but the bread will eventually soak it all up and then when you take it out of the pan, it will have that nice glossy, sticky look from the syrup.)