Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

I love lemon and poppy seeds.  Combined, they become a wonderful duo that happily work their way into everything from muffins to cookies to cakes.  This bread is like a combination of all three- it’s a quick bread/cake hybrid.  It doesn’t rise too terribly high, but makes up for its lack of “tall” with an irresistible flavor.  This stuff is fast, sweet, and tangy all wrapped into one loaf.

Let me also mention that the glaze is optional.  The bread is very moist and delicious all by its lonesome.  But the glaze  does add a special ’something’ that is worth the 30 seconds of effort required to make it.

All together, this bread took me about 8 minutes to prepare and offered me close to an hour of free time while baking.  Perfect to whip up for that unexpected visitor.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Bread Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup melted Earth Balance margarine
• 1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• zest of one lemon

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp corn syrup

Grease 8″ x 5″ loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, sugar together in large mixing bowl.  Add melted Earth Balance, lemon juice and non-dairy milk.  Stir in vanilla extract, poppy seeds, and lemon zest.  Stir in vinegar.

Pour batter in prepared loaf pan and bake 50-55 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Let bread cool about 15 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan.

Make glaze by combining all glaze ingredients and stirring.  Immediately pour on bread.  Let rest until glaze has hardened and serve.