This is a family recipe I grew up having at Thanksgiving or Christmas, and sometimes both. The medallions of sweet potatoes turn out sweet and a little chewy on the edges, hence the reference to candy. The recipe name is a misnomer, because sweet potatoes are always used (yes, yams and sweet potatoes are two different things), but who cares what it’s called if it’s good, right?
Candied Yams
6 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup orange juice, from concentrate
chopped pecans, optional
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.* Place whole sweet potatoes directly on oven rack and roast until cooked in the center. Set them aside to cool. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them into about 1/2 inch rounds and place on a sheet pan or large baking dish in a single layer.
2. Combine butter, brown sugar, and orange juice and pour over potatoes. Top with pecans, if desired.
3. Reduce on to 250 degrees F. Bake potatoes for 1 1/2 – 2 hours until the sauce has caramelized, and the potatoes are beginning to crack around the edges.
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After completing step 2, potatoes can be refrigerated for 1 or 2 days before baking.
*If you prefer, sweet potatoes can be boiled with skins on until cooked through instead.
the red avocado 