To Prepare
Stir together the boiling water, sugar, honey, baking soda and salt until the sugar dissolves. Mix in, thoroughly, the rum and cinnamon. Stir the flour in slowly to make a smooth batter. Add the grated orange rind, if desired. Pour the batter into a well buttered loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inches). For the first 10 minutes, bake in a very hot oven, 450 degrees, then reduce the temperature to moderate, 350 degrees, for one hour longer, or until it tests done. Turn the bread out on a wire rack to cool. Slice bread thinly and spread with butter. It is even more delicious the second day. May be baked in two smaller pans (7-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 2-1/4 inches). In this case, reduce the total cooking time by 15 minutes, or until they test done.
YIELD: 1 large or 2 small loaves
Copyright 1994 The Junior League of Baton Rouge, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit The Junior League of Baton Rouge web site (http://www.juniorleaguebr.com) to purchase copies of River Road Recipes II and other fine cookbooks, or call (225) 924-0298.