What is the point of a lemon and poppy seed recipe if it isn’t really lemony and has a shed load of poppy seeds? I was fed up with half hearted flavours, so this one suits my taste to a tee, and yours too I hope! My only comment would be to check your teeth once you’ve had a slice (or 3 in my case). Those stray poppy seeds stuck in your teeth don’t look massively attractive. But taste darn good.
Also, poppy seeds can help lower “bad cholesterol” and have a load of great minerals like calcium, phosphorus, zinc and iron, so even more reason to go poppy-seed-mad. Lush.
Ingredients
for the loaf
130g plain flour
50g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
180g unsalted butter
90g caster sugar
90g maple syrup
3 medium eggs
25ml whole milk
3 lemons (zest of 3, 2 tbsp lemon juice)
50g poppy seeds
for the drizzle
3 tbsp lemon juice (which is about 1 large lemon)
5 tbsp icing sugar
Greased and lined loaf tin
Preheat oven to 170oC
1) In a medium bowl combine the flour, ground almonds and baking powder. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl combine the butter, sugar and maple syrup and mix together until pale and fluffy. Add one egg, mix lightly and then add a second egg and repeat. At this point add a few (2 or 3) tablespoons of the flour mixture, to hold it together better. Add the final egg and mix until everything is incorporated.
3) Fold in half of the flour mixture into the butter/egg mixture. Once combined pour in the milk, mix and then add the remaining flour mixture. Fold until everything is just incorporated. Do not over mix.
4) Now is time to add the lemon juice, lemon zest and poppy seeds, mix until everything is evenly dispersed.
5) Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, jiggle it from side to side to get the excess air out and flatten the top with a blunt knife or back of a spoon. Pop on the middle shelf of the pre heated oven for about 35 mins. After 35 mins, cover the top with some foil to stop it browning too much on top. Then leave it in there for a further 20 mins.
6) While the loaf is in the oven, make the drizzle by combining the the lemon juice and icing sugar in a bowl. Mix until it’s smooth.
7) The loaf is done when a skewer inserted comes out clean. As soon as it comes out the oven, leave it in the loaf tin and pour half the drizzle on top while still warm. Once it’s cooled, take it out the tin, leave it on a wire rack to cool completely and pour the rest of the drizzle over.
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