Ingredients:
3 eggs
2-1/4 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1-1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/2 teaspoon butter extract
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder (NOT soda)
1-1/2 Tablespoon poppy seeds
This is super easy to mix together. Add about 2 ingredients at a time and use a whisk to stir thoroughly together after adding each pair. For example, put the eggs and sugar in the bowl - mix. Add the oil and milk, then mix. Add the extracts and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix. That way the batter is smooth and all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. You can use an electric mixer if you prefer, but it's not really necessary :).
Here are the liquid ingredients (+ sugar) mixed together:
Here are all the ingredients mixed together, ready to be poured into the bread pans:
Pour into 2 greased (I use Pam cooking spray) bread pans and bake at 350* (Fahrenheit) for 1 hour (I've had to leave it in the oven for an extra 5 minutes so that the center is fully cooked). It will be nice and golden on the top. This recipe is really yummy, moist, and I get tons of compliments every time I make it!
To add the lemon flavor, here is what you need to do:
1 - add 2 teaspoons of lemon extract
2 - add the zest of one lemon (I use a small grater and grate the peel directly onto the batter in the bowl)
I tried to show myself grating the peel, but it was very difficult with only two hands :).
Here's the lemon zest, ready to be mixed into the batter:
If you don't have lemon extract, you can substitute 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice (or use the juice from the lemon you used for the zest). Just know that the lemon flavoring won't be quite as strong this way. Stir in the zest and extract/juice (whichever you choose) and follow the baking guidelines for the classic recipe above.
I just recently came up with the lemon option and when I brought the bread to church, I had multiple people ask me for the recipe :). I'm relieved that I didn't ruin the recipe! :)
As an option for either recipe (classic or lemon), you can add a glaze to the top. I've never done this, because I love the bread on its own, but I think it would compliment the lemon poppy seed bread nicely.
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon butter extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix together in a small saucepan. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Pour hot glaze over loaves.
One more option I tried and enjoyed was adding raw sugar granules on top of the bread after it had been in the oven for about 45 minutes. That way, when it's done there's a slight crunch on the top and it looks more like the muffins from Starbucks and other coffee shops ;).
FINALLY, if you'd like to use the recipe to make muffins instead of bread, you will probably only need to bake them for 40-45 minutes, but I haven't tried that yet, so you'll probably want to watch them closely and take them out of the oven when the tops are golden.
Here's the finished product, ready to be devoured, yum! :)
Sorry the picture is blurry, but I was probably so excited about it being fresh out of the oven that I couldn't contain my excitement! ;)
Ok, I think I covered everything. If you have any questions or if I didn't make something clear, please let me know :). This really is a simple recipe and as long as you have all the ingredients on hand, it takes very little preparation time. Then you just throw it in the oven and viola! :)
Thanks for stopping by and please let me know if you try it (and what you think!). Have a great day! :)
