Grandma Tollis Candied Yams Food

CLASSIC CANDIED YAMS

Steps:

• Cut the sweet potatoes crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds. Halve or quarter any extra-large pieces so that they are all similar in size.
• Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a small bowl. Add the sugar mixture to the Dutch oven and whisk until it forms a paste. Add the potatoes and stir well, spooning the sugar mixture over the potatoes to coat evenly.
• Cover and cook the potatoes, stirring occasionally and gently to avoid breaking them up, until they are just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and the sauce resembles a thin syrup, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast until dark brown with a light scent of roasted nuts, about 8 minutes. Season the pecans with some salt while warm, let them cool completely and coarsely chop.
• Transfer the potatoes with their sauce to a large serving platter and sprinkle the pecans over the top.

GRANDMA'S CANDIED YAMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut off the ends of the yams, then peel and cut the yams into 1/2-inch-thick circles. Add to a 2-quart baking dish. Set aside.
• In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until thoroughly blended. Stir in the pineapple juice, cinnamon, vanilla and cloves. Taste the mixture to make sure it's sweet to your liking and pour over the yams. Spread the strawberry preserves on top of the yams.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the yams are semi-tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the yams are caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes more.
• Plate and serve hot. And don't forget to pour the sauce from the baking dish on top!

GREAT-GRANDMA'S CANDIED YAMS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add yams and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse twice with cold water. Soak in cold water for 15 minutes.
• While yams are soaking, preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Mix white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl.
• Peel and cut yams into chunks and place in a large baking dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with sugar mixture so all yams are coated. Carefully pour enough orange juice into the bottom of baking dish to measure 1/2 inch.
• Bake in the preheated oven, basting often, until yams are tender and the liquid is thick and sticky, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Sprinkle with mini marshmallows. Turn on the oven's broiler. Broil until marshmallows are melted and toasty, about 5 minutes.

MY GRANDMA'S CANDIED YAMS WITH PINEAPPLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes in a 2-quart baking dish. Set aside.
• In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and stir until smooth. Drain the pineapple in a strainer, reserving the juice. Stir in about half the pineapple and half the pineapple juice; reserve the rest of the pineapple and juice for another use. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture directly over the sweet potatoes.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the sweet potatoes are just tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the sweet potatoes are caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes more.
• Plate and serve immediately. Pour extra sauce from the bottom of the baking dish on top.