|
 The Old Educator's Family
Thanksgiving
Mom's
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 pounds red-skinned sweet
potatoes (yams), peeled and sliced lengthwise
-
2/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
-
5 tablespoons butter
-
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-
Pinch of ground ginger
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
-
1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange potatoes in
13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Combine sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt,
nutmeg and ginger in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil,
stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over potatoes; toss to coat. Cover
dish tightly with foil.
Bake potatoes 50 minutes. Uncover; bake
until potatoes are tender and syrup thickens slightly, basting
occasionally, about 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 500°F. Top
potatoes with marshmallows and nuts. Return to oven; bake until
marshmallows begin to melt and nuts begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
Cooks' note:
• Sweet potatoes may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Add
marshmallows and nuts; bake until marshmallows begin to melt and nuts
begin to brown (see above).
• If you double the recipe, bake longer until potatoes are tender.
This recipe serves approximately 8.
• Canned yams can be substituted for fresh - reduce baking time
|
|
Did You Know...?
Can you tell the difference between a sweet potato and
a yam? While they look alike and can be substituted for each other in recipes,
these two Thanksgiving Day classics come from different plant families.
The sweet potato (which incidentally, is also not
related to the potato) is a large edible root that belongs to the morning glory
family and is a native to tropical areas of the Americas. The yam is a member of
the Dioscoreaceae family of tropical and subtropical climbing herbs and shrubs
which grow in the Americas, parts of Asia and Africa.
Both can be similar in size, shape and color. Sweet
potatoes and yams come in yellow and deep orange colors. (Yams, are also
available in white, purple and pink.) Yams are higher in moisture, while sweet
potatoes are higher in vitamins A and C -- but these factors are difficult to
spot while shopping at the grocery store.
At Thanksgiving the differences between sweet potatoes
and yams don't matter much, since many folks feel they both taste great baked
with marshmallows on top. Of course, marshmallows don't come from the
marshmallow plant. They're made from corn syrup, gelatin, gum arabic and
flavoring.
|
|
|
|
Home • "Grandma Korn's Cornbread Dressing" • Roast Turkey • Cranberry- Orange Relish • Desserts - Pumpkin Pie and Dutch Apple Pie • Green Beans • Sweet Potatoes • Mashed Potatoes with Giblet Gravy
Home • Quick Thanksgiving Tips • Thanksgiving Dinner Checklist • Timetable • Thanksgiving Dinner • Turkey Trivia • Over the River & Through the Woods |
