It’s officially spring time in Montana! The sun is shining, the big blue sky Montana is famous for stretches for miles, the view of the mission mountains is spectacular, the lake is glistening, and the flowers and trees are beginning to blossom and pop out of the ground. It makes me happy. I have been waking up, opening all the curtains in the house so that the sun can peep in through the windows. I don’t get out of the house much due to my illness, so being able to have a little sun popping through brings me joy. Some mornings I like to grab a quick snack and sit on the porch and let the sun soak in as I take in the view. The perfect snack that is easy to make is my Gluten Free Orange Poppy Seed Bread. I slice a few slices and grab my vitamin dring (Spark from advocare) and head out to the porch for some natural vitamin D and my Bible Study. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Here is a picture of my view that I am so blessed to have. It’s not lake front, but it’s good enough. You will see me holding my Lemon Meringue Pie. Click Here for Recipe. Ahead you will see Flathead Lake. This is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. The second one is an up close picture of one of my favorite spots to hike. It is not one of those lakes you swim in and you can’t see your feet as you walk in. It’s crystal clear and cold as ice! The lake is filled by glacier run off each spring. It becomes a bit more tolerable late July, but you will see kids swimming in it much earlier. The third picture is the Mission Mountains. They are majestic at all times of the day from sunrise to sundown. My favorite is when they are snow capped with a hue of purple. There are so many places to hike. When you are out hiking you are sure to run into fresh huckleberries and where there are huckleberries, there are…..BEARS! So bring your bear spray, friends to make noise and be smart. If you ever have the chance to make it to Montana, Flathead Lake, Hiking in the Mountains and a trip up to Glacier National Park are a must see!
Now back to the post. You can make the Poppy Seed Bread the day before and it lasts for several days in an airtight container. It freezes well too. I like to make mine in mini bread pans. They are super cute. The combination of the fresh squeezed orange juice and zest in the bread with the poppy seeds is delightful. The orange glazed drizzled over the top of the bread tops it off with an extra burst of flavor. They are so cute served up as mini’s and they freeze wonderfully.
May day is coming up soon! Try making a batch of these, wrapping them with a piece of folded up wax paper or kraft paper and tying with jute to make beautiful little gifts to leave for neighbors for May Day. Perhaps you have some spring brunches planned, or graduation parties, bridal showers, baby showers, these would all be great for making these cute little breads. You can certainly make them into muffins too. Mama’s Orange Poppy Seed Bread is a delicious quick bread that can help bring a little joy to your day, whether you are looking at the Mission Mountains, Pacific Ocean, City Skyline, or country meadows or just serving up at a party or making as a gift.
Dairy Free Tips:
In place of butter – use dairy free margarine like Spectrum Buttery sticks, coconut oil, or spectrum shortening.
In place of the milk – use milk of choice, dairy, rice, nut or soy.
Gluten Free Orange Poppy Seed Bread
Recipe Type: Muffins & Quickbreads
Author: Rachel Carlyle Edington – Gluten Free Mama
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 4-6 mini loaves
Ingredients
- 3 cups [url href=”http://store.glutenfreemama.com” target=”_blank”]Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour[/url]
- 1 ½ tsp. xanthan gum
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ cup poppy seeds
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
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- ¾ cup butter, dairy free margarine or coconut oil
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- Zest of one orange (reserve 1 tsp. for glaze)
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- ¾ cup milk or dairy free milk
- [b]Glaze:[/b][br]
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. reserved orange zest
- 1-2 Tbsp. orange juice or milk/dairy free milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray bread pans with cooking spray, or line with decorative paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, salt, poppy seeds, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter until soft. Scrape down sides of bowl add sugar, vanilla and zest. Mix well. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs one at a time until well mixed.
- Alternate adding flour and orange juice, and flour and milk until all combined. Scrape sides of bowl and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- Using a 2 inch scoop evenly fill mini bread pans, or spread evenly into regular loaf pan.
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- Bake Mini Loaves for 25-30 minutes.
- Bake Muffins for 25-30 minutes.
- Bake Regular Loaf pan for 50-55 minutes.
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- You can tell they are done when the top bounces back when touched.[br]
- Glaze: Mix together powdered sugar with the orange zest and juice/milk until drizzle consistency is formed. Drizzle over bread in zig zag motion. (For picky eaters, leave the zest out)
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