APPLE CIDER YAM BREAD

"This quick sweet bread made with richly colored, orange-fleshed yam tastes almost like cake."

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup butter or margarine, softened at room temperature
1 pound light brown sugar - (2 1/2 cups)
2 cups orange-fleshed precooked yams, pureed, or thoroughly mashed
1 cup apple cider
4 eggs, beaten to a froth
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups dark raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pans; set aside until needed.

Into a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside.

In a second large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together until light and well blended. Add pureed yams, cider, and eggs. Stir until smooth and thoroughly blended. About 1 cup at a time, add the flour mixture to the yam mixture, stirring well after each addition. Don't beat this batter. Fold in nuts and raisins. Spoon into prepared pans.

Bake until medium golden brown on top, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check doneness with a toothpick: Insert into the center of one loaf; if it comes out clean the loaves are done. Remove loaves from oven and let stand about 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 3 loaves
Recipe Source: The Many Blessings Cookbook: A Celebration of Harvest, Home, and Country Cooking by Jane Watson Hopping, the Pioneer Lady