I made my mom-in-law's Boston Brown Bread last night for the first time. It was so delicious. The boys gobbled it up for breakfast this morning. Now, if you are blessed enough to know my mom-in-law (the Bonnie in Bonnie's Boston Brown Bread), you're probably aware of what we know. She is a GREAT cook and baker. In fact, it was a tad bit intimidating when I married her middle son almost 14 years ago! He's put up with his share of flops over time, but one thing I've always counted on was that if I made one of Mom's recipes, I'd be ok.
Well, this bread is no exception. You must give it a try. And pick up some Breakstone's Whipped Butter to go with it. Yum! The bread tastes awesome warm and is just as good cooled. It's easy and cheap.
You will need cleaned out cans to bake the bread in. I used 29 oz sliced peaches cans. She said that crushed tomato cans work well, too. This will make 4-5 loaves depending on the size can you use. (I halved the recipe because I didn't have enough cans or nuts for a full recipe, and it made 2 of the 29 oz cans.)
1 generous cup of raisins (I only had the golden ones on hand. They worked deliciously!)
3 c hot water
2 c sugar
2 T butter
2 eggs
1 t salt
5 1/2 c flour
2 t baking soda
2 t vanilla
1 c walnuts, chopped (I only had chopped pecans on hand....again delicious. Ben said he actually preferred them!)
3/4 c molasses
Simmer raisins in water for 12 minutes.
Cream sugar, butter, and eggs.
Add flour, salt, and baking soda to creamed mixture alternately with hot water/raisin mixture.
Add molasses and vanilla.
Stir in nuts.
Fill greased cans 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter.
Bake 1 hour at 350 degreees. Test with toothpick to make sure they are done.
After you take them out of the oven, let them set in the can for 5 minutes to sweat before trying to tap them out.
Enjoy!
Excuse my awful picture. We were in too big a hurry to eat them, that I didn't get a picture of the loaves in the cans, or before they had been partially devoured. :) And the space monkey plate...well, they had 4 packages of those paper plates on clearance at Target for 75 cents each package! I bought all 4. :) Works in a house full of boys!
