Oct 11, 2011

Constants

I like the constants.  The fact that when October blows in I know I'll see gumbo and chili and gravies.  Muffins and bread.  

Sweet Potato Bread w/ Praline Butter

In magazines & on TV, those muffins and breads are usually made with pumpkin.  But when I think orange fall food, sweet potatoes are what I rely on.

Once a week (sometimes more) I drive through Opelousas, LA--home of Tony Chachere, the Zydeco capital of the world, and home to the Yambilee Festival.  (Sweet potatoes, yall.)  It's hard not to think about sweet potatoes--there's a quirky mural there of sweet potatoes dancing and passing a good time at Yambilee.

In the fall, sweet potatoes are a constant around here.  Before too long, men in dusty overalls will be selling them by the sacks out of pick-ups.

While working on my sweet potatoes for the bread, I remembered a constant from my childhood. 
The crazy Sputnik sweet potato my grandma always had in her kitchen window.
 She'd root them in jars and trail the vines around her window frame.  I had to laugh--I always seem to have a collection of things rooting in jars in my window too.

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This sweet potato bread is full of cinnamon

vanilla, orange zest, and pecans (another constant this time of year).

Couldn't resist serving it with praline butter.


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Sweet Potato Bread w/ Praline Butter
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp (heaping) cinnamon
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 c softened butter
about 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients.  Add the flour mixture to the sweet potato mixture until you no longer see flour.  Spoon into a greased loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes.


*The praline butter was made by melting about 2-3 Tbsp sugar and cooking over low heat until caramel color. Add about 2 Tbsp finely chopped pecans and stir to coat. Let cool, then mix into softened butter. If you have pralines already made, just chop them up and add to your butter.


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Linking up with:


Love Bakes Good Cakes
Make a Food "e" Friend Monday @ The Saturday Evening Pot
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Tasty Tuesday @ Naptime Creations
Hearth and Soul vol 69 @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Tuesdays Tasty Tidbits @ Permanent Posies
Let's Do Brunch @ The 21st Century Housewife
Bake With Bizzy @ Bizzy Bakes
What's Cooking Thursdays @ Feeding Four
Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table
Simply Delish @ KB & Whitesnakes Home
Potluck Friday @ EKat's Kitchen
Friday Food @ Mom Trends

19 comments:

  1. Oh, sweet potato bread.That sounds like my kind of thing.

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  2. This sounds and looks delicious! Do you use normal flour or strong bread flour? I will definitely give this a try - do you think it will work with squash as well as sweet potato?

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  3. Mmm! Is it okay that I'm drooling?

    My dad's dad is from Opelousas. I can't wait to go visit the area someday. ; )

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  4. Andreas-thanks for stopping by!

    simplemiss-I think buternut squash would be great. I used regular (all-purpose) flour.

    Kitchen Witch-drool away. I don't mind.

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  5. Anonymous10/11/2011

    This looks amazing! I am definitely going to bake this sometime this week.

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  6. I do love my pumpkin desserts/breads...but sweet potatoes will eternally have a place in my heart (and belly). This sounds so delicious!

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  7. Oh mother of goodness, this looks so good!!! Bookmarking this one for sure! (the thought of the praline butter has me drooling all over myself, LOL)

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  8. Oh my! I would totally make that right now if it weren't 100 degrees today AND I know I'd eat every bit of that butter right off the spoon. That looks simply amazing!

    On another note, I made gumbo from a mix the other night. Will you still be my friend?

    Michelle
    http://michellesdinnerbell.blogspot.com

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  9. That is exactly what I am going to make with my sweet potatoes! Yummy!

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  10. What a delicious idea! Thank you for sharing your recipes with the Hearth and Soul Hop.

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  11. This looks so good! I love making bread and cant wait to try this! Thanks for sharing at What's Cooking Thursdays!!

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  12. thanks so much for linking up to Tasty Tuesday! can't wait to see what you'll bring this week. http://nap-timecreations.blogspot.com/

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  13. Looks yummy.

    Thanks for sharing with us at
    Simply Delish Saturday

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  14. This looks and sounds so good - especially with the praline butter! I often have leftover sweet potato and this would be the perfect way to use it up. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe with the Hearth and Soul hop.

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  15. Thank you also for sharing it with Let's Do Brunch! By the way, I gave this recipe a shout out on Hearth and Soul today :-) Thank you again!

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  16. Sweet potatoes are refreshing with all the pumpkin recipes and I do love both. Thanks for linking this to Let's Do Brunch and Bake with Bizzy.

    We are featuring some of our savory recipes at Bizzy's so please come and visit.

    I will be linking up again, hopefully next week. I think, I did one linky, this week. I always enjoy yours because it is healthy and fresh.

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  17. Anonymous10/19/2011

    This sounds so good! I made the kids sweet potato cupcakes before and they really bake into a nice sweet treat.

    Thanks so much for linking up to MomTrends this week! :o)

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  18. Hi there, thanks for sharing the recipe for the sweet potato bread. It looks delish. I have recently found your blog and hope to visit often. Please pop on over and visit mine and hopefully you will follow me also. I would like that. Hugs, Chris

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Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate your comments.