Honey - Sweet Potato (Or Pumpkin) Bread

This delicious quick bread is just perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. Spicy, moist, not too sweet, great texture. Made up with some of the ingredients required for the challenging RSC 2004 Contest!

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 1  cup honey
• 1⁄2 cup  vegetable oil (I used a light olive)
• 2  extra large eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups sweet potatoes or 1 1⁄2 cups pumpkin puree
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄3 cup buttermilk
• 2  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3⁄4 cup  chopped toasted walnuts (optional) or 3⁄4 cup pecans (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup golden raisin (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F; butter and flour two 9x5-inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey (if you measure out the oil first, and then put honey in the oiled measuring cup, the honey will come out easier) eggs and sweet potato puree until creamy.
3. In a small bowl, combine both flours, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices.
4. In a measuring cup, combine buttermilk, balsamic vinegar and vanilla extract.
5. Fold dry ingredients into sweet potato mixture, alternating with buttermilk; mix until just combined; if using pecans and/or raisins, toss them with 1 tblsp flour and fold them into the batter quickly; scrape batter into prepared loaf pans and bake for about 60 minutes, or until breads test done when toothpick is inserted into centre and comes out clean; if bread appears to be browning too quickly, tent loosely with some foil and continue baking (I did this about 1/2 an hour into baking).
6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.
7. Note: Like most quick breads (and cakes), this slices up best a day after baking- I couldn't wait!