Baking Poppyseed bread today and going to a party!

My husband work party is today at a co-workers house. They know I bake, so I volunteered to make dessert. At first I was going to make one of my favorites, the Carrot Cake Cheesecake, but after making Oreo balls yesterday I figured I'd just take those. That was until I woke up and my daughter had eaten half of them off the platter in the fridge. Yes, they were on a nice plate (one we don't usually use) and TIGHTLY wrapped, but somehow she didn't realize I was taking them anywhere. This left me with NOTHING! So I'm taking less Oreo balls and came home to bake some Poppy Seed Bread. So far, it smells good. 


There is a bit of a story behind this recipe. When I was single, Bishop and Sister Easdon were my home teachers. I think it was the last year they visited, before our boundaries were split and they brought me the best loaf of poppy seed bread ever!  It was her mothers recipe and for years they had insisted on keeping it a secret, but then one day, her mother was at the temple and had a prompting to share the recipe. Here's the scripture included in the recipe. 

"And all this for the benefit of the church of the living God, that every man may improve upon his talent, that every man may gain other talents, yea, even an hundred fold, to be cast into the Lord's storehouse, to become the common property of the whole church." D & C 82:18

I'd like to share the recipe with you all and I plan on sending Sister Easdon a thank you note. She'll probably wonder after all these years I'm sending her a note, but I think a Thank You is in order for sharing something so special. 

Poppy Seed Bread

3 cups flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 1/8 cup cooking oil
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 TBSP poppy seed
1 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients well. Grease two large loaf pans with cooking spray and pour the mixture evenly into the pans. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Glaze while still warm. 

Glaze

1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Heat to dissolve sugar. Let bread cool a few minutes. Remove from pans, place on plates. Pour glaze over hot bread. Use spoon to bring glaze up over hot bread until it stays on. Slice when completely cool.  

I just sliced a small piece out for Doug and I from one of the loaves staying home and it's as good as I remember it. Now if I get a thumbs up from my hubby, I'll be very happy. Since he's not a big fan of any dessert or sweet bread really, I'm curious to see what he says. He does love Lemon Poppyseed Muffins, so we'll see. (((And 5 minutes later...I got a "GOOD STUFF"...Yeah!!!)))

Now I'll show you how this works in my household. DD eats all the Oreo balls during the night, comes home from church, does her favorite thing during the holidays; sleep on the couch, looking at the Christmas tree and listening to Christmas music. Then there's me....in the kitchen, in my skirt, stockings, CROCS and apron...SLAVING away. 

Thank goodness this Holiday Junkie enjoys hanging in the kitchen so much. To be honest, listening to Harry Connick Jr and whoever else popped up on the CD player, makes it 10x more fun!