Boston Brown Bread

I thought I'd continue the bread theme from Karen earlier this week. This is still from the Cooking American Style that I took from my friend's apartment in NY a couple weeks ago. I was interested as it is cooked in a CAN. I've posted that craziness before, and still marvel at it. This one has an even more unusual cooking method, though. Why would people do this?

Boston Brown Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour, or rye flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups buttermilk

3/4 cup molasses

1 cup raisins (optional)

Butter or margarine

Grease four 4 1/2 x 3 cans (16 oz. vegetable cans) (Who has those empty sitting around?). Beat all ingredients except butter 30 seconds on low speed. Pour into cans, filling each about 2/3 full. Cover each tightly with aluminum foil.

Place cans on rack in Dutch oven or steamer; pour boiling water into pan to level of rack. Cover pan. Keep water boiling over low heat until wooden pick inserted in center of bread comes out clean, about 3 hours. (Add boiling water, if necessary, during steaming.)

Remove cans from pan; immediately unmold breads (unmold breads? Ugh) Serve warm with butter.

Wow - this book seems to like this bizarre steaming method. See also the Baked Prune Whip recipe from a couple weeks ago for more of this.

Tonight I have CSI with the teens with fabulous mystery authors Michael Black and Dave Case, who are also policemen. It's one of my favorite teen programs, and I'm doing a mini recreation of it for the YALSA Preconference Friday with some of my teens. Should be fun!