3 tb Poppy seeds; fresh
1/2 c Milk; 2% lowfat
5 tb Unsalted butter; at room
-temperature
1 c Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c All-purpose flour;
-unbleached
1 ts Baking powder
2 Lemon zest; grated
1/4 ts Salt
-LEMON SYRUP-
1/4 c Granulated sugar
1/4 c Fresh lemon juice
1. In a small bowl, combine the poppy seeds and milk. Let stand 1 hour to
macerate and meld flavours.
2. Preheat oven to 325F. Cream the butter and sugar in the work bowl of an
electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each
addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt in a small
bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture in three equal
portions, alternating with the poppy seed milk. Beat just until smooth.
3. Pour the batter into a greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and bake in the
centre of the preheated oven until golden brown and a cake tester inserted
into the centre of the loaf comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. Place
the loaf in the pan on a cooling rack.
4. Meanwhile, to make the lemon syrup, combine the sugar and lemon juice in
a small saucepan. Place over low heat just until the sugar dissolves. Set
aside. Pierce the hot loaf about a dozen times to the bottom with a bamboo
skewer, toothpick, or metal cake tester. Immediately pour over the hot
lemon syrup. Cool 30 minutes before turning out of the pan onto a rack to
cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let stand at room
temperature overnight before serving.
NOTES : Beth Hensperger (with photography by Joyce Oudkerk Pool), “The Art
of quick Breads: Simple Everyday Baking,” Chronicle Books, San Francisco,
1994, paperback, ISBN 0-8118-0353-8(pbk), Distributed in Canada by
Raincoast Books, 112 East Third Ave., Vancouver, B.C. V5T 1C8, catalogued
as 641.815, Toronto Public Library, borrowed may 1998. About the poppy
seeds: “Soaking the seeds before adding them to the batter accentuates
their elusive flavour. Poppy seeds can range from a clear slate blue to
blue-black in colour, with a corresponding wide range of sweetness. In
specialty stores, look for Dutch blue poppy seeds, as they are the highest
quality and very sweet. Store seeds in the freezer to prevent rancidity
because, like nuts, they have a high oil content. The recipe calls for
milk. I have specified 2% milk. 2 lemon zests means the zest of 2 lemons.
In general, Beth Hensperger recommends that any quickbreads to be frozen be
wrapped first in plastic, then in foil.
Yields
10 servings