Excerpt from Easy Bread Machine Baking: More than 100 new recipes for sweet and savoury loaves and shaped breads by Shirley Ann Holmes. © 2000.

My good friend and home economist Joyce George told me that one of her favorite recipes for dinner rolls included sweet potatoes and a hint of nutmeg. This bread is an adaptation of her recipe and the clover leaf rolls are terrific with ham or turkey or for potluck dinners. With its subtle sweetness, hint of spice and glorious color, this bread is wonderful for ham and onions or spicy crab sandwiches. Canned sweet potatoes or yams are more convenient and you can use the reserved liquid to add extra flavor.

TIPS

Leftover sweet potatoes can be mixed with mashed potatoes for a superb colorful vegetable side dish or frozen for later use. Substitute fresh cooked, mashed sweet potatoes and their cooking water for the canned sweet potatoes and reserved liquid. Add a little more sugar if desired. For a lighter texture, substitute 1 large egg for 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid.

• 1 cup [extra large: 1 1/3 cups] mashed, canned sweet potatoes or yams (drained, reserve liquid)
• 1/2 cup [extra large: 3/4 cup] reserved liquid from sweet potatoes or yams
• 2 tbsp [extra large: 3 tbsp] vegetable oil, margarine or butter
• 3/4 tsp [extra large: 1 tsp] salt
• 1 tbsp [extra large: 2 tbsp] sugar
• 3 cups [extra large: 4 cups] white flour(*)
• 1/4 tsp [extra large: 1/2 tsp] pepper, nutmeg or dried chili peppers
• 1 1/4 tsp [extra large: 1 1/2 tsp] bread-machine or instant yeast
(* In Canada use all-purpose or bread flour; in the United States use bread flour)

1. Add all ingredients to machine according to manufacturer's directions. Select basic white cycle. VARIATION: Clover Leaf Rolls Select dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough to lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut dough into 12 or 16 pieces; shape each into a smooth ball and place in greased muffin tins. Cover with clean tea towel and let rise in warm place for about 30 minutes or until double in size. Bake at 375 deg F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove rolls from pans and serve warm or leave to cool on racks.

From the "Savory Herb, Seed and Vegetable Breads" chapter of Easy Bread Machine Baking