Corn Bread with Fennel Seeds, Dried Cranberries, and Golden Raisins

Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 0.8 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1.5 cups buttermilk well-shaken
• 0.5 cup cranberries dried coarsely chopped
• 2 large eggs 
• 1.5 tablespoons fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle or pulsed in an electric coffee/spice grinder crushed
• 1.3 cups flour all-purpose
• 0.5 cup golden raisins coarsely chopped
• 0.8 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 cup sugar 
• 0.8 cup butter unsalted cooled melted
• 0.7 cup cornmeal yellow (not coarse)

Equipment

• bowl
• oven
• whisk
• plastic wrap
• loaf pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter loaf pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
2. Stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together butter, eggs, and buttermilk in another bowl and add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in raisins, cranberries, and fennel seeds.
4. Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops, and let stand 10 minutes.
5. Bake in middle of oven until tops are pale golden and a tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks and cool completely.
6. • Corn bread can be baked 3 days ahead and kept, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature.• Corn bread can also be made in 2 (8- by 4- by 3-inch) metal loaf pans and baked about 35 minutes.