Sweet Potato Bread With Dates And Cranberries

Active time: 25 minutes Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes 10 servings; makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf

This tender sweet potato bread makes for a splendid, healthful treat for the fall and winter seasons.

Make ahead: The sweet potato can be roasted up to 3 days in advance.

Storage notes: Store well-wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Note: To roast the sweet potato: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick a large (12-ounce) sweet potato, such as a Garnet or Jewel, all over with a fork, then place on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast, turning over midway, for 50 to 60 minutes, or until tender. Let cool, then halve and scoop out the flesh into a bowl, and mash with a fork until smooth.

1⁄2

cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed, safflower, or canola, plus more for the pan

11⁄2 cups pitted dates

1 cup mashed, roasted or boiled, orange-fleshed sweet potato (see Note) 1/3 cup milk (whole, low-fat or unsweetened almond milk)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or white wholewheat flour (may substitute with 1/2 cup each

regular whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour)

1/2 cup almond flour

11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup fresh whole cranberries

1/2 cup chopped raw pecans

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to

325 degrees. Grease the inside of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and line it with a piece of parchment paper long enough for a generous overhang on both of the longer sides. Grease the parchment paper with the oil as well.

Place the dates in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the sweet potato puree, oil and milk and pulse until smooth. (Small bits of the dates will remain.) Add the eggs and vanilla, and pulse to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

In another large bowl, whisk together the whole-wheat and almond flours, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger and salt until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the sweet potato mixture, and stir just until evenly incorporated. Stir in the cranberries and pecans; the batter will be very thick.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and, using a small offset spatula, smooth out the top. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pan completely, then, using the parchment overhang as a sling, remove from the pan, slice and serve.

Nutrition information per serving (one 3⁄4-inch-thick slice) | Calories: 272; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 38 mg; Sodium: 203 mg; Carbohydrates: 34 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 18 g; Protein: 6 g