Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe + my own glaze

INGREDIENTS

Bread:
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons butter extract or 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
Glaze:
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 3/4 teaspoon butter extract or 1/2 tablespoon melted butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Line the bottom of the loaf pans with waxed or parchment paper and then grease and flour the entire loaf pan well.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and oil. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the egg/oil mixture and whisk to combine. Add 1/2 of the milk and stir together. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the last half of the milk and stir. Finally add the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix. Add the extracts and poppy seeds and mix well.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 60 minutes checking often the last 10 minutes of baking to ensure the bread doesn’t overbake. When completely baked, a toothpick inserted in the middle should pull out moist crumbs but not wet batter.
4. While the bread is baking, combine the glaze and ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
5. Let the bread sit in the pan for five minutes. Run a thin-edged knife around the edges of the bread and carefully remove the bread from the pans onto a wire rack set atop a layer of paper towels. Brush the tops of the bread with the glaze while the bread is still warm. Continue brushing and/or gently pouring until all the glaze is on the bread. Cool completely before slicing.

For the glaze I did:

1/3 cup sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/4 tbsp melted butter

Notes from Jill's Kitchen: I meant to add lemon zest to the bread batter, but I forgot. Next time- DON'T FORGET. I made just 1 loaf (because all I have is one 10-inch bread pan) and I made mini-muffins with the rest of the batter (because I don't have a regular muffin pan. Apparently there are still holes in my kitchen goods). I actually almost like the muffins more than the bread! Next time I might try and make most of them muffins.