2/3 cup yellow cornmeal (not coarse)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds, coarsely crushed with a mortar and pestle or pulsed in an electric coffee/spice grinder
Special equipment: 10 miniature (3- by 2- by 1 1/2-inch) metal loaf pans

Preheat oven to 375�F. Butter loaf pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt in a large bowl. 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.

Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops, and let stand 10 minutes. 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.

Cooks' notes:
� 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.