Glazed Sweet Potatoes

This mouthwatering recipe for glazed sweet potatoes comes from another friend, Lady B. That’s not actually her real name though. Her real name is one of those names that you'd just rather forget and tuck away into the recesses of your mind. Otherwise, every time you came in contact with her, you'd burst into a hilarious fit of laughter. And that wouldn't be a good thing.

She’s pretty much the matriarch of her entire family (well, the entire world, actually) and if you don’t call her Lady B, she can get as crabby as all get out.

Did I say, “…she can get as crabby as…?” What I meant to say is that she can be the crabbiest. That’s the superlative of crabby. I’d like to invent a super-duper superlative though. What’s Webster’s home number?

No, you don’t want to be on the wrong end of her wrath. You may as well just chew glass. But the woman’s got a heart that will make you cry. She’s one of the (if not THE) finest people that I’ve ever met in my entire life that isn’t related to me. And to top it off, the woman can COOK like, well…the finest chef in the entire world. Except for her chili though. It’s just too darn HOT! But don’t ever tell her that I said that…I’d have to break some glass.

Your Ingredients:

4 large sweet potatoes
3-4 cups granulated sugar
1-cup water
1-tbsp ground allspice
1-tbsp ground nutmeg
1-1/2 sticks butter, cold and sliced
3-tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2-tsp salt

PEEL the sweet potatoes, wash them and slice them lengthwise as thin as possible.

NOTE: I always place sweet potatoes on a cutting board and use a very sharp chef’s knife to slice. Keep your fingers out of the way though, with both hands on top of the knife, because they are usually quite hard and very difficult to slice. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve exerted pressure on the knife and a finger happened to be in the way! Another tool for slicing, which would definitely be worth your investment, is a mandoline. You’ll be able to use that tool for many different prepping tasks.

PLACE the sliced sweet potatoes in a shallow pan that has a fitted lid.

SPRINKLE the sugar on top of the potatoes but DO NOT stir them up, just leave the sugar on top. (I know it seems like a lot but it’s the key to your glaze)

PLACE the pan over high-heat and pour the water around the edges of the pan, not disturbing the sweet potatoes and sugar. Cover the pan and bring it to a rolling boil.

REMOVE the lid and turn heat down to medium (not low).

ADD allspice, nutmeg, dot with butter, vanilla, and salt. DO NOT stir or blend or anything. Leave the sweet potatoes alone and let them do their thing.

LEAVE uncovered and turn the heat down to medium. Cook sweet potatoes until they get tender and juicy, with a thick buttery glaze, about 40-45 minutes.

SERVE these deliciously sweet and syrupy potatoes with Honey Baked Ham™ and string beans.

YUM…YUM…YUM!

FINAL NOTE: I realize that 3-4 cups of sugar seems excessive but that’s one of the secrets to perfectly glazed sweet potatoes. The other secret is to leave them completely undisturbed while cooking. Leave the ingredients where you place them. It will all come together.

Always Enjoy!