Lemon Poppy Seed Bread and Tropical Traditions Giveaway!

     I recently received a quart of coconut oil from the wonderful people at Tropical Traditions.  I've never cooked with coconut oil before so I took baby steps when using it.  The oil is in a solid form but can be melted into a liquid so it's very versatile.   I first used it in my Nanaimo bars to thin out the chocolate topping which paired perfectly with the coconut no bake cookie crust. Then I seemed to be stumped on what to make next until I made a visit to a nearby baking store.

     This past weekend I went to visit my parents in Pittsburgh and my mother took me shopping at Make-A-Cake, my favorite baking store!  I spent over $40 in the store and inspiration struck when I put a large bag of poppy seeds into my basket.  I immediately thought of lemon poppy seed cake or bread and knew I could use the coconut oil in the bread.

      When making the bread I used half butter and half coconut oil.  The coconut oil smelled amazing and gave the bread a light flavor of coconut in addition to the lemon and vanilla.  The bread was moist and flavorful.  The glaze on top is tart which is a fabulous contrast to the sweet lemon poppy seed bread.  I can't wait to make these into muffins and share them at work!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread  (adapted from Annie's Eats)
4 T. butter, softened
1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 t. vanilla
1 c. vanilla yogurt
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 T. poppy seeds

For the glaze:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. lemon juice 

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, coconut oil, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, stirring well after adding each one.  Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.

3.  In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.  Mix well to combine.

4.  Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.  Add in the yogurt and stir well.  Then add the remaining flour mixture and stir until just incorporated.

5.  Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

6.  In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice.  Mix well.  Spread the thick glaze over top of the bread and allow to drip down the sides.  Let the glaze set for 15 minutes and then serve.

Now for the giveaway! 

Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America's source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil? You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

One lucky reader will win one quart of Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil.  This giveaway is open to readers in the US and Canada.  This giveaway will run through June 1, 2012.  Winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via e-mail on June 2. To enter tell me what recipe you would make with coconut oil.  To earn a second entry subscribe to Tropical Traditions Newsletter.  To earn a third entry follow Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks on Google Friends Connect.  To earn a fourth entry follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter @troptraditions.  

Leave a separate comment for each entry along with your e-mail address.  

Disclaimer:  Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

This post linked to:
Mangia Mondays, Making You Crave Mondays,  Mouthwatering Mondays,
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Sweets for a Saturday,