Candied Sweet Potatoes/Yams (Pressure Cooker Friendly)
Candied sweet potatoes/yams are my personal favorite side dish during the holidays. This is an excellent recipe for sweet potatoes candied with confectioners’ sugar and butter. As the whole thing bakes, the sugar melts and caramelizes, becoming a brittle and crunchy shell covering the soft orange potatoes within. This dish is best served warm rather than piping hot, which makes it convenient for Thanksgiving. Bake it before you roast your turkey, then reheat it briefly just before serving.
Servings 12
Calories 137kcal
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes scrubbed*
- ½ cup/1 stick butter
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice optional, but my addition
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla optional, but my addition
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil sweet potatoes in their jackets in water to cover until fork-tender, 20 to 45 minutes depending upon their size. Drain and cool.
- *If using a pressure cooker, I peeled the potatoes, then sliced them 2" thick; add one cup of water to the pressure cooer. Place them in a steamer basket on top of a trivet, so that the water doesn't touch the potatoes. Lock on the lid, and set pressure cooker to high for 8 minutes. Do a natural release, and the potatoes should be fork tender. Allow to cool.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Peel potatoes and slice into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.
- Place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or 2-quart gratin dish, overlapping slices to fit in one layer.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth. Add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, if using.
- Pour evenly over the potatoes. Bake until potatoes look shiny and glazed, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
This recipe is slightly adapted from “The Harvey House Cookbook” by George H. Foster and Peter C. Weiglin