Spiced Maple Candied Yams

Why This Spiced Maple Candied Yams Works

In the oven, the yams slowly soak up the hot maple and brown sugar mixture. As they bake under the foil, the heat moves through the thick slices and softens them all the way to the center. The butter melts into the syrup and sugar, so the liquid can slide between the slices and coat every piece. During this covered time, the yams steam in their own moisture and stay moist instead of drying out.

Once the foil comes off, the surface starts to change. The syrup around the yams thickens and turns into a sticky glaze that clings to the soft pieces. The spices are already mixed into the hot syrup, so they spread evenly instead of sitting in one spot. While everything finishes baking, the pecans on top toast in the dry heat and stay a little crunchy. By the end, the yams are tender inside, glossy on the outside, and sitting in a thick, sweet, spiced glaze that holds to each slice.

Mistakes To Avoid

Cutting the yams too thick or too thin throws off the cooking time. Thick slices stay firm in the center while the outside turns mushy, and very thin slices soften so much that they start to break apart and lose their shape in the syrup.

Letting the yams bake uncovered the whole time often dries them out. The top pieces harden and shrivel while the syrup on the bottom thickens too fast, so the dish ends up sticky and uneven instead of soft and glossy.

Pouring the syrup mixture over the yams without spreading it around leaves some slices almost plain. Those pieces bake up pale and dry, while the ones sitting in a puddle of syrup get overly sweet and very soft.

Adding the pecans at the start instead of near the end causes them to burn. They turn very dark and bitter and leave a scorched taste on the syrupy surface of the yams.