Bread Recipe #28 - Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

What do you do when life gives you lemons???? Make Lemon Poppy Seed Bread!! Ingredients: 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup poppy seeds, 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, 3 large eggs, 1/3 cup milk. Syrup: 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 lemons), 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour 4 mini loaf pans. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir in poppy seeds. In a large bowl with electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar; add the zest and vanilla and mix well. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the milk until thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture to butter mixture mixing just until combined. Divide the batter among the 4 prepared pans and pop into the preheated 350 degree. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. While breads are baking, make syrup: In a small saucepan combine the lemon juice and sugar; bring mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cover saucepan to keep syrup warm. When breads are done transfer to cooling racks. Poke the tops of the breads immediately all over randomly with a skewer. Brush them with some of the warm syrup and allow the breads to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Invert breads onto the racks and poke all sides of each loaf with the skewer (tip onto side for better skewer-poking, then repeat with other side). Brush the breads with remaining syrup and let them cool, right sides up. Wrap the breads in plastic wrap and foil and let them stand overnight. ( I ignored this step and had a piece while it was still warm-delicious! The breads keep, wrapped well in plastic and foil, chilled for 1 week or frozen for 1 month (won't last that long). I found this recipe on the Epicurious website; it was originally presented in "Gourmet", December 1990. "Rolling in the dough!"

Bread Recipe #6 - Lemon-Thyme Bread

My first bite into this bread left me thinking that the thyme was overpowering (maybe need to cut back a little), but after a few more bites, I decided the combinatin was right. The lemon peel is a good combination with the thyme and the icing further complements the finished product. Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme (1 tablespoon, if using dried), 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (1/4 teaspoon dried), 3-4 teaspoons lemon juice (fresh from a lemon is preferred). Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and sour cream. In another bowl, combine the flour, thyme, lemon peel, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture to the creamed butter/sugar combination, beating well after each addition. Transfer to prepared pan and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Cool completely; sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or make icing as follows: In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, thyme and 3-4 teaspoons lemon juice to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled bread in desired pattern. "2013 Taste of Home Annual Recipes", Reiman Media Group, LLC, Greendale, WI, 2012, pg. 91. "Rolling in the dough!"