Baked Candied Yams

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash, peel, and slice 5 medium yams into rounds about ½ inch thick. Arrange the yam slices in a single layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

2. Step 2.

   In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and stir until well combined.

3. Step 3.

   Pour the candied butter-sugar mixture evenly over the yams in the baking dish. Use a spoon or your hands to coat each yam slice thoroughly with the mixture. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.

4. Step 4.

   Bake the covered yams for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully uncover, and baste the yams by spooning the syrupy mixture from the bottom of the dish over the tops. Re-cover with foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the yams are tender when pierced with a fork.

5. Step 5.

   Remove the yams from the oven and let them rest, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Baste once more with the candied syrup before serving.