Soul Food Candied Yams

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 large yams or sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

→ Syrup & Sweeteners

02 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar

03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar

04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

05 - 1/4 cup water

06 - 1/4 cup orange juice, optional

→ Spices

07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

02 - Arrange sliced yams in a single, even layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish.

03 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, water, and orange juice if using. Stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves, approximately 3-4 minutes.

04 - Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and vanilla extract.

05 - Pour hot syrup evenly over yams in the baking dish, ensuring all slices are thoroughly coated.

06 - Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

07 - Remove foil, baste yams with syrup, and continue baking uncovered for an additional 20 minutes until yams are tender and syrup is thick and glossy.

08 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving to allow syrup to thicken further.

# Expert Tips:

01 -

The brown sugar syrup gets thick and glossy, coating each slice with a caramelized shell that's somehow both delicate and indulgent.
It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been tending it all day, making it perfect for holiday meals or unexpected company.

02 -

Don't skip the resting period—I learned this the hard way when I rushed to plate them hot and ended up with a puddle of syrup instead of a glaze.
If your syrup seems too thick toward the end of cooking, add a splash of water; if it's too thin when you take it out of the oven, it will continue to set as it cools, so be patient and trust the process.

03 -