Sweet Potato Bread with Pecans

So, we've just dug up 10 lbs. of sweet potatoes; what's a gaijin mother to do? Make Sweet Potato Bread of course! Now besides making bread out of the Japanese sweet potatoes, they are actually fabulous baked with the skin on and eaten by pulling back the skin and eating the flesh. The Japanese call these Yakiimo (Sounds like Yakeeeemo) I learned in my son's Japanese class that the word Yaki means burnt and Imo is short for sweet potato and that Tori means bird so, Yakitori (that wonderfully BBQ'd meat on a stick) literally means, burnt bird. Not so appetizing when literally translated! Yakiimo (Burnt potato) is something I thought I would have never liked. I wasn't too fond of sweet potatoes back home. The only thing that I do differently than the Japanese when eating Yakiimo is melt some butter on it! This bread is also much better with some butter spread on top. It yields two loafs of bread so, make one for yourself and give one to your neighbor. I promise, they won't complain about your little Bobby throwing balls in the backyard any more!

2 1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cups water
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped pecansPreheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine sugar, water, oil, eggs, and sweet potatoes and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add pecans and mix well. Divide between 2 greased loaf pans and bake for 50 minutes. Cool in pan to room temperature.