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Lemon poppy seed loaf


Here's a little treat for a cold winter day! This moist lemon poppy seed loaf has that gorgeous tart/sweet combination that works so well. The glaze is poured over top while the loaf is still hot from the oven, seeping in and around the loaf and forming a sugary lemon crust.

And before you say anything, yes, I realize in my last post I said I'd be posting some healthier recipes. But I swear I've been working out nearly every day lately! So I call this loaf a little "balance" in my life. Heck, I can justify anything that tastes this good!


Here's how I made it:

BATTER
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek style yogurt
1 tbsp lemon zest (takes about two lemons)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp poppy seeds

GLAZE
1/4 cup lemon juice (takes about 1 lemon)
1/4 cup icing sugar

While my oven preheated to 350 degrees (F), I started the batter by creaming the butter and the sugar in the large mixing bowl of my stand mixer (a hand electric beater would work fine too).  I added the oil, eggs, yogurt, and lemon zest and beat well until smooth. In a separate mixing bowl, I whisked together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds. The dry mixture was added gradually to the wet mixture and beat well until smooth. The batter was poured into a greased loaf pan and baked until a toothpick inserted in the centre came out clean (60 minutes for me, but could be anywhere from 55 to 65 minutes). 

To make the glaze, I whisked the lemon juice and icing sugar until there were no lumps. With the loaf still hot in the pan, I poured the glaze evenly over the top, letting it seep into and around the loaf. The loaf cooled for 15 more minutes in the pan, then I removed it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.


The baby gobbled some up this loaf after his lunch and my 4-year-old kept poking it for fun while it cooled. The number of times I've had to say things like, "Don't touch that, I haven't taken pictures of it yet!" in my kitchen. Ha! Still, the benefits to my family of having a food blogger in the kitchen far outweigh the frustration of having to wait ten minutes for yumminess to get its photo op.


Baking seemed like the perfect way to enjoy our cozy morning at home while it snowed outside. We don't get a lot of snow here, so the kids are pretty amazed at all the fluffy white flakes falling from the sky! We're heading out to play in it later, and this lemon poppy seed loaf will be waiting for us when we come back inside, all rosy cheeked and happy.

What's your favourite loaf to bake? Is it snowing where you are? What do you like to make on a snowy day?