Here is a recipe for Southern Candied Yams ¹:
Ingredients:
- 5 medium, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (start with less and adjust to taste if using any other type of salt)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- nonstick cooking spray or softened butter
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes to remove any dirt, then peel and slice them into 1/2-inch thick rounds.
- Arrange them in the prepared baking dish.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and both types of sugar.
- Whisk until all the ingredients have combined with the butter.
- Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the melted butter mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes, ensuring that each slice gets coated thoroughly.
- Cover the baking dish securely with aluminum foil.
- Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and let the sweet potatoes bake for approximately 30 minutes.
- After this initial baking period, carefully take the baking dish out of the oven.
- Use a spoon and generously coat the sweet potatoes with the candied mixture.
- Re-cover the dish with foil.
- Continue baking until the sweet potatoes become tender when pierced with a fork and the sauce has thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
- Once the sweet potatoes are done baking, remove them from the oven.
- Allow the candied yams to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.