Boston Brown Bread

Total Time: 3 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon shortening or 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups raisins (optional)
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons molasses

Recipe

• 1 generously grease 2 (1 pound) coffee cans, or 3 (1 lb.) vegetable or fruit cans, or two vegetable juice cans (pineapple or v8 work well); set aside. (the cans should only have one end removed.).
• 2 in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. add raisins and walnuts, if desired. toss to evenly coat the raisins and nuts with the flour mixture.
• 3 in a medium bowl, combine the oil, water, egg, vanilla, sugar, and molasses. mix well.
• 4 stir the wet mixture into the flour mixture only until dry ingredients are moistened.
• 5 turn into prepared cans, filling evenly. cover cans tightly with 2 layers of foil; secure with string or rubber band.
• 6 cook with one of the two following methods:.
• 7 #1: place a rack in a large kettle or pot. place the cans on rack. place kettle/pot over low heat. add boiling water until halfway up cans. cover; bring water to a gentle boil. steam bread 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. add more boiling water during steaming, if necessary.
• 8 #2: place a rack in a large kettle or pot. place cans on the rack. add boiling water to the kettle/pot and cover with a lid. place the kettle in a 325° oven and steam for 2 hours and 45 minutes, replacing boiling water as needed.
• 9 carefully remove bread from cans. cool on racks at least 30 minutes before slicing.