Lemon Bread

from Julia Lawrence

Bread:
½ cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

Syrup:
¼ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour loaf pan. Combine the shortening and sugar in a large bowl and beat until well-blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add all of the rest of the ingredients and beat until blended and smooth. Spread into the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. While the bread bakes, make the syrup in a saucepan. Remove the bread from the oven and poke the top in several places with a fork. Drizzle the syrup over the hot loaf. Cool for 15 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.