RAISIN BREAD

Raisin Bread

½ cup raisins, plumped, use water or rum, etc. as you like
3 cups flour
3 ½ tsp. Baking powder
1 ½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Ground ginger
½ tsp. Ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. Grated orange zest
1 tsp. Vanilla
6 Tbsp. Shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine the milk, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla. In another mixing bowl, cream the sugar and shortening together. Add egg to sugar mixture and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, add the flour mixture and milk mixture alternately in thirds. When the mixture is evenly mixed, fold in the raisins. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake at 350 for an hour. Test bread for doneness. If not done, bake for an additional fifteen minutes, cover with foil if needed to prevent over browning. When done, cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. 

Glaze with Citrus Glace, if desired:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. Butter, softened
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp. Lemon extract
1 Tbsp. Fresh orange juice

Combine all ingredients until smooth. Pour over warm Raisin bread.