Candied Yams Bourbon Brown Sugar

# What You'll Need:

→ Yams

01 - 4 large yams (approximately 2½ pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds

→ Glaze

02 - ½ cup unsalted butter

03 - ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed

04 - ¼ cup pure maple syrup

05 - ¼ cup bourbon

06 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

07 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

08 - ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

09 - ¼ teaspoon salt

10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Garnish

11 - ¼ cup chopped pecans, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.

02 - Place yam rounds evenly in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.

03 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth, approximately 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

04 - Pour glaze evenly over yam rounds, gently tossing to ensure all pieces are well coated.

05 - Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.

06 - Remove foil, baste yams with accumulated glaze using a basting brush or spoon, and bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes until yams are tender and edges are caramelized.

07 - If desired, sprinkle chopped pecans over the candied yams immediately before serving while still warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

The bourbon deepens into something almost smoky as it bakes, no harsh alcohol taste, just pure comfort.
You can make this hours ahead and reheat it, which means one less thing scrambling around before dinner.
It bridges the gap between side dish and dessert without any of the cloying sweetness that turns people off.

02 -

Don't skip the foil covering step or your glaze will reduce too quickly and the yams won't cook through evenly; the steam is doing important work.
Always add the vanilla after removing the glaze from heat, or you'll lose that vanilla fragrance to the heat.

03 -