Golden Thread Bread

This quick bread is an unusual way to serve sweet potatoes, especially for Thanksgiving. You can make it ahead of time, and it travels well when wrapped tightly in foil.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Yields: 1 large loaf

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups raw sweet potato, peeled and shredded
• 1⁄4 cup raisins or 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 2  cups flour
• 1  cup sugar, plus
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon mace or 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄4 cup shortening (or butter)
• 1  egg
• 1⁄4 cup  orange juice
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Combine sweet potatoes and raisins (or cranberries -- add as many as you like). Sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix lightly and set aside.
2. Combine flour, 1 c sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and mace (or nutmeg). Sift together into a large bowl.
3. Cut shortening (or butter) into dry ingredients with a pastry blender (or two butter knives) until pea-sized bits form.
4. Beat egg in a small bowl. Add orange juice and water. Fold liquid into dry ingredients by hand until flour is just moistened. Fold in sweet potato mixture.
5. Place batter in a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Combine 1 tb sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle on top.
6. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on rack.
7. NOTES: This recipe takes a small sweet potato or half of a large one. The original called for two 9x5 loaf pans and baking for 40 minutes, but I like the bigger single loaf. The substitutions in parentheses are also my changes from the original.