Soldier's Bread

Soldier's Bread

1 1/2 cups raisins

2 cups hot water

2 T. butter (1/4 stick)

2 t. baking soda

Nonstick spray

4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, well beaten

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or other nuts

Mix raisins, hot water, butter and baking soda in bowl. Cover and let stand overnight. The next day, Preheat oven to 350. Coat insides of three 1 pound coffee cans with nonstick spray. Drain raisins and place in large mixing bowl. Add flour, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and chopped nuts. Mix well. Distribute among coffee cans, filling each can half full. Place cans upright on baking sheet and bake until risen, firm and brown, about 1 hour. Allow bread to cool in cans for at least 20 minutes. To remove bread from can, tap around outside of can, then turn can over and gently shake until bread slips out. Finish cooling bread on wire rack.

Source: The Strawberry Inn, New Market, Maryland, and the Sleep On It Cookbook

Notes: This recipe was handed down to me along with an interesting story. Apparently the recipe got its name because when soldiers went off on their tour of duty, they would use coffee cans to cook out in the fields. This bread is baked in coffee cans, thus the name soldier's Bread.