Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

I think sweet breads like this lemon loaf or a banana bread is a great snack, don’t you? They’re easy to throw together, you don’t have to mess with a bunch of waiting around like you do for cookies. One pan in the oven...done. Around here this kind of thing doesn’t last too long. Lunches, snacks, okay...even breakfast. This lemon loaf is really good. Refreshing and light and it doesn’t feel like you’ve eaten something super heavy. It’s yummy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

1 2/3 cups flour

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1/2 cup butter ~ room temperature

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, lemon zest and butter and mix until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time then add vanilla and lemon juice.

In a large measuring cup, stir to combine the milk and sour cream.

Beginning and ending with flour mixture, alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the lemon sugar mixture until just combined.

Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until done or toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pan 5 minutes then brush top with lemon glaze. (Recipe follows)

Remove from pan. Slice and enjoy.

For the glaze:

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a microwave safe measuring cup and heat until sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot.

Let's get to cookin'!

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Next combine the sugar and lemon zest. Run that around with a whisk a little bit.

Add the butter and combine until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs, one at a time, then the lemon juice and vanilla.

Combine the milk and sour cream.

Starting and ending with the flour, 

add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the mixing bowl a little 

at a time until everything is mixed.

Add batter to prepared pan and bake.

All baked and so pretty!

Next combine the 1/4 cup sugar 

and 3 tablespoons of the lemon 

juice in a microwave safe bowl 

and heat until sugar is dissolved...

about a minute.

Pour the glaze over the warm bread. 

You can poke a few holes in the loaf 

to help get the glaze evenly distributed.

Allow to cool then slice and eat!