Very tired of banana bread, even if it is reliable, always eaten. So I thought I'd try using sweet potato instead. I already had a container of cooked sweet potato, mashed with butter, in the freezer, so I thawed a cupful.
I looked at a couple of recipes for sweet potato bread and noticed one added water. And a lot more sugar than I like. Anyway I bore the water in mind, and found that the batter did need moisture. So I added probably half a cup of milk, didn't measure. Till the batter looked likely. As you see below.
Added in chocolate chips, chopped walnuts. Basically the old banana bread recipe, plus half a cup of milk, and it baked about ten minutes faster.
Looked like this, nice texture, going in.
It tastes good, a nice unfancy cake, less moist than banana bread
And it's pretty good. It needs the nuts definitely, for interest, and chocolate chips never go wrong.
We'll see how many stars Handsome Son gives it. I'll save some for him.
Speaking of tea, the meal, that is: the posh kind, with the tiny crust-free sandwiches, savory spread, little tartlets, cake, tea in a pot, cups with saucers, is afternoon tea. If you're invited to tea that's what it means. Allow about an hour and a half at least.
If I'm the hostess, it's all baked from scratch specially for you. About once a month, I used to invite individual interesting people as a kind of special one-on-one treat for women friends.
We did run into a snag here and there where people thought it was a bit more casual than it was, not being familiar with it. So they'd say, well I can only stop in for a few minutes, or an hour before expected, call to change the date. Interestingly these were people who were traveled, who claimed to know all about it... Maybe not. But it was still fun when it worked. And the dear friend who tried the lemon tomato jam and said I'm taking this entire pot home! I did send a care package with her.
The other hitch was friends I couldn't invite because of problems with gluten and caffeine. A good afternoon tea really consists of gluten and caffeine! Subs don't work. So we did other things.
And while we're here, this is not high tea. That's a cooked meal in the early evening, like a supper, and it requires knife and fork. I think sometimes people assume the careful presentation of afternoon tea adds up to high. I explained this to a friend who asked a while back, and she said, no, in England I had that fancy one, so is that low tea? She was determined to get the technicalities right.
And the Brits don't help by using the same word for a beverage and a meal. As in "come on now, eat your tea!"
I'm going to read Pride and Prejudice now, along with my sp cake and a pot of tea .
I love sweet potato anything. Have you ever had or made a soup with sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, and sausage? So, so good. And that cake looks perfect.
ReplyDeleteThere was a very artistic couple who lived down the road from us when I was a child who had tea every afternoon. We kids always hung around to see if they'd invite us. The man was NOT inclined to. But sometimes I got to go with my grandmother or mother as an invited guest and the woman would read our tea leaves. It all seemed so absolutely elegant and beautiful.
My aunts used to read tea leaves! Not very seriously.
DeleteI like the soup idea. I rarely buy sausage, but I'll make a note for next time I do.
DeleteSweet potato baked fries are a great snack. I like the idea of using them instead of bananas.
ReplyDeleteI think sweet potatoes are the Swiss army knife of vegetables. I've eaten them in several ways, all good.
DeleteI like your description - a nice unfancy cake. Sounds like something I'd enjoy eating too much of.
ReplyDeleteHow nice to invite your women friends for tea. My favorite to go with it was scones and clotted cream. Don't know if we have clotted cream here, but with your baking skills, I bet you could come up with some delicious scones.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom was the scone queen! I remember her whipping up a lovely batch when she saw a couple of unexpected visitors coming up the path. Hir from the oven, nothing better!
DeleteClotted cream isn't in my tradition, more of a Southwest peninsula (UK) thing. Tourists love it and argue about whether the jam or the cream goes on first.
that sweet potato bread does look good. and I've never heard of chocolate chips in banana bread. I'm not a very adventurous cook I guess though I have no problem finding a substitute for an ingredient in a pinch. I don't cook that often, just a thing here and there since I no longer am the dinner provider.
ReplyDeleteThe banana bread recipe is so basic, you can add in all kinds of interesting items. I often put in golden raisins, always put chopped walnuts, and sometimes chocolate chips as well, if I have them. It's interesting to eat with inclusions. After I started doing this, I read further in the recipe and found that they say it's a basic cake for adding to. So I was in tune with them, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI've put chocolate chips in banana bread and discovered that - - I just don't like banana bread, primarily because I don't like bananas, I guess. So, I will substitute other fruits. Sweet potato sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteI expect various squash would work, too. I've used zucchini. I wonder about other root vegetables aside from sweet potatoes, carrots.
DeleteThere are so many food allergies these days, I always have to ask before I invite someone for tea or coffee.
ReplyDeleteYes, you can't assume anything. And there are medication issues for some people.
DeleteI've always thought the 'tea' ritual was something I would enjoy so it was interesting to read your description of same. A group of us went for 'afternoon tea' at a local restaurant once or twice but I don't think it's quite the same thing.
ReplyDelete