ORANGE POPPY SEED BREAD....COOKIN' AND LOOKIN' GOOD!

Good food and a warm kitchen are what makes a house a home.

I always tried to make my home like my mother's,

because Mom was magnificent at stretching a buck 

when it came to decorating and food.

Like a true Italian, she valued beautification in every area of her life, and

 I try to do the same.

~Rachael Ray

 

 I am not going to say this very loudly, but "the last of that old man winter" is showing his face in Texas today. Cold! Rain! Wind! Gray skies! I need a fireplace, my blankie and something good baking in the oven. I need a marathon of TCM movies. So I have something scrumptious in the oven and something beautiful to look at today!

 

Our darling and creative friend Susan at http://mymothersapronstrings.blogspot.com/
inspired us to be red carpet ready when in the kitchen with her beautiful apron creations. I was fortunate enough to win one of her original apron creations give-a-ways back in February! These aprons took my breath away and I think I would like to have them all for different occasions. There is method to my madness since I know the darling cannot resist my cooking....or a southern girl in a beautiful apron! OK....I totally made up the last part, but it's always a good idea to be beautiful and classy while baking bread!

 

 

 

ORANGE POPPY SEED BREAD

The Swan's Palette

BREAD

3 cups flour

2 ¼ cups sugar

2 T. Poppy Seeds

1 ½ t. baking powder

½ t. salt

3 eggs

1 ½ cups milk

1 cup vegetable oil

2 T. grated orange zest

1 t. vanilla

½ t. almond

Combine the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and mix well. Combine the eggs, milk, oil, orange zest, vanilla and almond extract in a medium bowl and mix well. Add to the flour mixture and beat for 2 minutes.

 Pour the batter into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour.

 

THE ORANGE GLAZE

¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

¼ cup orange juice

½ t. vanilla

½ t. almond extract

 Combine the confectioner’s sugar, orange juice, vanilla and almond extract in a medium bowl and mix well.

 

Assembly

 Poke holes in the loaves with a long-tined fork. Pour the glaze of the hot loaves and cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove onto a wire rack and allow to cool to room temp.