Boston Brown Bread

This molasses-flavored bread is a New England classic and is typically served with Boston baked beans. It is steamed rather than baked, and should come out quite moist. I've always made it in coffee cans, but if you don't have any available, use 1-quart molds.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 40 mins
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons shortening
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  egg
• 3⁄4 cup dark molasses
• 2 1⁄4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 3⁄4 cups buttermilk
• 3⁄4 cup raisins

Directions

1. Cream the shortening and sugar together.
2. Beat in the egg and molasses.
3. Beat in the flour through the buttermilk.
4. Stir in the raisins.
5. Spoon into 2 well-greased coffee cans, making them a little more than half full.
6. Cover with greased lids or foil.
7. Set coffee cans on a rack or an inverted dinner plate in a deep kettle and add boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the cans.
8. Cover and steam 2½ hrs.
9. Replace boiling water periodically to maintain the level of liquid.