I love sweet potatoes. I love them baked, mashed, fried-- and especially "candied". I also love yams. What's the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. Ever wonder?
After doing some internet sleuthing, the consensus seems to be:
Yams in the U.S. are actually sweet potatoes with
relatively moist texture and orange flesh. Although the terms are
generally used interchangeably, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
requires that the label "yam" always be accompanied by "sweet potato." (Source)
So, for simplicity's sake, I'll refer to these as Candied Sweet Potatoes. I should also add that these are rich, and incredibly good!
Peeled sweet potatoes are cooked until fork tender, then sliced. One stick of butter is melted, and one cup of confectioner's sugar is whisked in. I added a pinch of pumpkin pie spice and a small splash of vanilla-- which is optional, but I was glad that I did. This is poured over the sweet potatoes, and then baked for about 30 minutes. As the whole thing bakes, the sugar melts and caramelizes, becoming a
brittle and crunchy shell covering the soft orange potatoes within.
How could I not resist trying out this version? It seemed a whole lot quicker to make that my traditional "
Candied Sweet Potatoes Kicked Up".
Instead of boiling the sweet potatoes for the suggested 45 minutes, I peeled them and steamed them in my pressure cooker-- which took 7 minutes! Bam! Very simple.
TASTING NOTES: I loved the buttery sweet candied coating of these potatoes. Yes, they are sweet. But on Thanksgiving, I allow myself to indulge a bit more than usual. I served this with a delicious Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin (recipe coming). I'm glad I tried this recipe, because this is the one I'll be making tomorrow.
A printable recipe is at the very end of this post.
I wish all of you a very blessed Thanksgiving. For those of you who are traveling, I wish you all safe travels.
Cheers,
Hi Debbie and Happy TG Feast to you. Two days after, I've figured out what was missing from the TG table that I joined: Candied "Root Veggies." I know the differences, I often use BOTH types and who the heck cares; since both are great. And heck yes, the P.C. is a real time saver for a root veggie that can be on the tough side. (I cook whole, peeled and *slightly* under done, just do they don't become mush. Ha!! No domestic water for 2-3 weeks before the 'oliday, so invited out - and no leftovers. Water is back! Just because I want more, on Sunday, I'll cook 4x big turkey thighs via your recent P.C. method, including gravy and make dressing and veggies on the side. I hope 'your men' understand just how fortunate they are! Every time I visit your site, I'm struck dumb by the primary post - or one from the side bar, thinking, "Yes! I know/like that. Why not incorporate Debby's ideas with my own?" It works. The most recent example is the Goulash that popped up. That's popular freezer item every season. My original recipe came from a Czech chef who insisted that the "...weight of the chipped/sliced onion must be > or equal to that of the meat..." Seasonings are similar and it freezes well. (A perfectly excellent vegetarian edition is made by substituting mushrooms for meat. Not me, but it works.) If I have trouble with any item on your extensive list it is spaetzel (sp?), I like this starchy side and, through many methods, cannot seem to get it right. Grr! Otherwise, all of your recipes, even the ones that I don't make, just sing to my soul. Thank you and a belated Happy Thanksgiving,
ReplyDelete-Craig - you have my email...
From what I've heard it's actually pretty impossible to find real yams in the US, but I say call them whatever you want. We all know what you mean! And we all love 'em.
ReplyDeleteI think that i've found 'yams' on a few occasions, but here they're mostly called 'sweet potatoes'....delicious and healthy no matter what we call them. Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving and are having a delicious Christmas season!
ReplyDeleteRoz
Hi Debby
ReplyDeleteWhen are you going to post the recipe for the maple glazed pork tenderlion.
Oh my goodness! I forgot! I should do that, but right now it's BBQ season.
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe! My sweet potatoes came out delicious and in a fraction of the time by using my pressure cooker. I did grind some cinnamon/sugar on them while when I put them in the pressure cooker and I added a few apples.
ReplyDelete