Boston Brown Bread

This is good served with cream cheese.

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups milk
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup dark molasses
1 cup dark raisins

Grease 2 (1-pound) coffee cans. Into a large bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, combine milk, buttermilk and molasses. Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture; beat with a spoon until well combined. Stir in raisins. Pour mixture into the coffee cans, filling each about two-thirds full. Tie pieces of heavy aluminum foil tightly over top of each can. Place cans on a rack in a deep kettle. Add boiling water to kettle to come halfway up sides of cans. Cover kettle. Steam 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Add more boiling water to kettle as needed to maintain level around cans.

Remove cans to a wire rack; cool.

For serving later, cool bread in cans; store in refrigerator.

To reheat, place covered cans on rack in boiling water in large kettle and steam about 30 minutes, or until heated through.