Here is what you need:
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup 2% or whole milk (I used 2% because that is all I had, I'm sure whole milk is better)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or substitute one teaspoon of orange extract or almond for added flavor)
1 tablespoon melted butter
3 cups flour
Glaze:
1/4 cup lemon juice (FRESH)
zest of one lemon
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon melted butter
Please disregard the giant container of vegetable oil. When I send John to the store for basic items such as vegetable oil he comes home with something like this...
Ok first step is to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Next haul out your mixer and smile because anything that is made in a mixer is good. Anything.
You'll combine the sugar, eggs and vegetable oil first.
Mix this together until it is well blended.
Wait. Make sure you don't have some random part to your mixer in the bowl...
Alright now that you have checked your bowl, removed the metal attachment cap and washed your hands (maybe licked them clean...maybe) you can begin mixing.
Next you need to add the milk, poppyseeds, baking powder and salt.
Ok, off subject a bit but does anyone else love the color of poppyseeds?? I think this would be a fabulous wall color in a bedroom and then have accents of citron or kind of an apple green like my mixer... then a bone color for bedding. Ummm curtains could be a tone on tone pattern of this same wall color. Ok now that I've got that out of the way we can go back to baking. (Let me know if you paint a room this color after eating this bread...)
Throw in your salt and baking powder with the milk and poppyseeds.
Add your vanilla extract, or whatever combination of flavors you choose, as well as your melted butter. Can you believe we are only using 2 tablespoons of butter in this entire recipe? Healthy... except for the 3 cups of sugar, 1 1/2 cups of oil and the fat that will no doubt be added to your inner thighs a couple of days after you eat this whole loaf of bread. Full disclosure people... that's what I will provide.
You know how to add vanilla... I added it, just did not document it. Can you imagine what it may look like to add vanilla and go out on your own? I have confidence you can :).
Next start adding your flour. Do it about half a cup at a time to keep the flying flour under control. Also, please do NOT beat this batter to death. It's bread and needs to be soft and fluffy. Not tough and dense... gross, don't do that to yourself.
Here is what it will look like. Peppered with the color of my future master bedroom...
Remember! Beat until combined. Don't leave your mixer going while you go scream at the kids (or dogs in my case)... and expect this to be good. Instead scream at your husband, from the kitchen, while you take care of making breakfast for the fam. The moist, fluffy, lemon infused poppyseed bread will be delicious as a result.
Then take your finger and test as much batter as you feel is necessary before serving this fine dish to your loved ones. I had to test it a lot to be sure...
Now that you have confirmed this will be tasty cooked as well as raw you should butter your loaf pan and toss some flour around in it to coat everything and keep this lemon goodness from sticking and ruining your morning.
Fill yo pan half way. This makes two loaves and that means one for you and one for your family. Orrrr you could give it to a neighbor that ignores your barking dogs day in and day out and doesn't threaten to take our their vocal chords. That's harsh, that won't happen to you and it sure won't happen to you if you give them this bread.
You'll need to bake this for at least 45 minutes. My metal pan baked in about 50 and my heavy ceramic dish took like 4 hours. You'll know it's done when your knife comes out clean. You do not want to over bake this, it needs to be moist. MOIST! LIGHT! FLUFFY! Demanding recipe.
Now, hopefully you have read through this entire recipe before actually following it so that you're not in trouble for not already mixing up the lemon glaze. You need to mix up the lemon glaze while the bread is baking :). You're welcome for the heads up!
Zest your lemon!
Use an antique blue glass juicer and juice both halves of one lemon. Only blue will work... I know, where are you going to find one this early in the morning?! I don't know but I know that my juicer juices like no other.
Then pour in your 3/4 cup of sugaaaa (Go Hogs!! We are headed to the Sugaaaaa Bowl and I can't say sugar normal now) and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and whisk it! Whisk it....whisk it GOOD. Name that song.
Also feel free to test taste this bit of goodness. I made it pretty tart because if you're going to have lemon you want a kick. That's the point. Don't be afraid if it's too lemony alone, you're pouring it over a non lemon bread and want it to make an impression. Why would I call it Lemon Poppyseed Bread if you can't taste the lemon?
OK. Now that your glaze is done and your bread is done (probably about 10 minutes ago because I'm just now telling you about the glaze) you need to immediately pour half of this on one loaf while it's still super hot from the oven and the other half on the other loaf. Duh.
It will run down the sides of the loaf pan and sizzle and gather and soak into the top of the bread that has split open to allow all of this glaze to soak in. Man, I wanted to dig right in at this point but you need to allow the bread to cool completely in the pans before removing.
Here is the final product. I ummmm do not have a picture of the entire loaf because by the time this was ready to eat I was a raging bia and needed to get my blood sugar up before my husband left with our dogs and never came back.
Does anyone else get unreasonably mean when their blood sugar is low? Anyone?
This recipe was adapted from one I found online. Just added a little oomph to what looked like a tasty recipe but not crazy enough for me. Let me know how it turns out for you!
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