Candied Sweet Potatoes

Candied baked potatoes are called Candied Yams in the South. What makes a delicious southern candied sweet potato is the sweet syrup mixture composed of butter and sugar that gets doused over the slices of sweet potatoes. Many recipes add cinnamon to the syrup.

Baking the potatoes, as opposed to boiling them, caramelizes the sugars in the potatoes giving them extra flavor.

8 medium (3 pounds) sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons brandy, orange juice or mixture of both
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cook potatoes in water until tender. Drain and cool. Peel and cut in half lengthwise. Place in shallow baking dish large enough to hold one layer. Drizzle with the brandy or juice, dot with the butter, and sprinkle the brown sugar over all. Bake, basting with sauce, until hot, about 20 minutes.

Note: Can be cooked in large skillet and heated on top of stove instead of in oven. You can also use canned sweet potatoes, which come in their own juices. Mom always made Candied Sweet Potatoes this way when I was young. Pour the contents of the can in a baking dish, dot with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until hot and bubbly.

Serves 8