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Candied Yams

Source of Recipe

From "Sweetie Pie's Cookbook" by Robbie Montgomery


Recipe Introduction

"Back in the day, when folks cooked yams they would put them on the hot coals left over from the cook fire. Most people had modern kitchens, of course, but we knew plenty of people who would use the embers from their fireplaces to make yams. I love that charred taste of the direct heat, so when I make my yams I put them right on the oven rack with a drip pan underneath to catch the juices. Once they're cooked, I slice them open and put in lots of butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and it's delicious just like that—almost as if they'd been candied. When I make candied yams in a baking dish, I use maple syrup or brown sugar like most cooks, but I like to use a lot more butter—enough so you can actually taste it."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  3 large yams (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut in half lengthwise
â—¦  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
â—¦  4 tablespoons (½ stick) margarine
â—¦  1 â…“ cups brown or white sugar
â—¦  ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
â—¦  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦  1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
â—¦  2 ½ cups water


Recipe

Cut each yam half into ¾-inch slices.

Melt the butter and margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and water and bring the mixture to a boil.

Add the yams, return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the yams are coated with a thick syrup and are tender but a little hard around the edges. Serve immediately.

Serves 4