Sweet Potato Bread

Yes, I DID get out of my jammies and into clothes today. Even took myself out for a short walk.It was a pleasant minus fifteen degrees and slightly overcast. I also got caught up to date with Coronation Street ...... and did a little quilting.

Aside from that, I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen. I cleaned out the fridge ... which, for the record, I seriously hate doing way more than any other yukky household chore! ... and simmered up a giant pot of soup stock from the turkey carcass (which I had put in the freezer the morning after the Big Day) and assorted wilted / accumulated / leftover vegetables.

Erm, that doesn't sound all that tasty, does it? Trust me ... it tastes better than it sounds!

I also cooked some beets that have been living in the fridge a bit too long ... cold beet salad tomorrow, yum! ... and made BOTH Sweet Potato Bread and Sweet Potato Biscuits as I had one gigantic baked sweet potato left from the Big Day.

So here's the deal ... when a recipe makes it to a little index card in my recipe box, that means I've made that recipe a number of times and "worked out the kinks". This recipe for Sweet Potato Bread is done in a bread machine, and ... sorry ... I don't recall where the original came from, only that I made a few "un-kinking" adjustments along the way to the index card.

Shall we make it together?

Let's shall!

First, put your bread machine bowl on the counter (NEVER measure stuff into the bowl while it's in the machine ... let's just say I learned this lesson the smokey way!) and measure in 1/2 cup warm water, 6 tablespoons cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 egg and 1 cup mashed sweet potato:

I think I forgot the vanilla. Oh well!

Second, add 4 cups of flour.I used Whole Wheat bread machine flour because that's what I had. Usually, I use Unbleached flour, so I don't think this is a "fussy" recipe.

Third, add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.I didn't have any nutmeg, so I added a pinch of allspice. I'm very versatile, me! (However, I was seriously having a difficult time measuring and posing and taking photos all at the same time today! Some days I'm ambidextrous, and some days not so much.)

Fourth, add 2 (generous) Tablespoons butter.This is also one of those occasions in life when margarine just won't do. Okay, I admit it ... in my world, there is NEVER an occasion when margarine is suitable ... I seriously hate the stuff! The Creator did not say "thou shalt consume whipped plastic" instead of Divine Real Cream and Butter!

Fifth, add 1/3 cup dark brown sugar.Hmm. That cane sugar looks a tad pale. No problemo ... I added a tablespoon of molasses ...... to darken it up! Sweet taters and molasses ... sounds like a logical combo, don`tcha know!

Sixth, toss in one and a half teaspoons saltfollowed by 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast.

Seventh, put the bowl into the machine, and set it for REGULAR (or basic) and light crust ...... then close the lid and let your bread machine do its magic!If your sweet potato is a little on the dry side (smaller ones sometimes are), you might need to add a few more tablespoons of water or cream so that it all mixes up into a smooth dough. I didn`t have to add more liquid ...... I had baked a gigantic sweet tater in its own skin, and it was moist enough.

About 3 hours later, you should have a Heavenly loaf of finished Sweet Potato Bread:

This loaf raised so well, it hit the bread machine lid before it finished baking! I LOVE this stuff toasted and spread with butter (of course) and some tart blackberry jam ... PURE BLISS I tell you! Not too darned shabby toasted with bacon and fresh tomatoes either ...

Since I had a bit of mashed sweet potato left, I also made Sweet Potato Biscuits:

My biscuit recipe makes about 10 large biscuits.

I suspect you`re wondering WHO is going to eat all this baking, considering I live by myself. The answer is simple: ME! But not all at once! I freeze things in small batches ...

... like two sweet potato biscuits separated by a square of parchment paper ... or loaves already sliced so I can take out a me-sized portion when I want it. Otherwise, half the biscuits or half the loaf of bread would get stale before I managed to eat them all. I'm very versatile, me!

Cheers!