Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

From The Brunch Box
by Sharon O'Connor

Delicate, moist, and easy to slice, this quick bread is fantastic for brunch and perfect for afternoon tea. With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, it’s almost like a cake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows), optional
• Lemon curls (see (Cook’s Tip), optional

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir with a whisk to blend.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top of the loaf browns before the center is done, cover with aluminum foil and continue baking until done.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Run a knife around the sides of the loaf and unmold onto a cutting board to cut into slices, or onto a platter to frost and decorate with lemon curls.

Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf

Cook’s Tip

To make lemon zest, use a zester or grater to cut fine shreds of the colored part (the zest) of the lemon peel; don’t include the white pith underneath, which is apt to be bitter.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or fresh lemon juice
• Lemon curls for decorating (see Cook’s Tip), optional

1. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla or lemon juice and beat until smooth.

Cook’s Tip

To make lemon curls: Using a channel knife or vegetable peeler start at the tip of the lemon and slowly rotate the lemon while holding the peeler still to remove the lemon zest in a long strip. Curl the strip around a chopstick or skewer, or hold the strip at either end and twist the ends in opposite directions and gently pull to make a spiral. Add the zest to a glass of ice water for 30 minutes to curl. Drain, dry, and cut the curl into shorter sections.

From The Brunch Box