• 4-6 FRESH LARGE YAMS (OR IS IT SWEET POTATOES? AT ANY RATE, THE ORANGE ONES)
• 3-4 CUPS GRANULATED WHITE SUGAR
• 1 STICK MARGARINE, CUT INTO THIN SLICES WHILE COLD
• 3/4 PKG CAMPFIRE MINIATURE MARSHMALLOWS (TRY TO USE THIS BRAND...OTHERS I HAVE TRIED DON'T SEEM TO HAVE THE PROPER FLAVOR)
• WATER AS NEEDED TO COOK UP A RICH, THICK SYRUP

1. WASH THE YAMS.
2. PLACE INTO A LARGE POT AND COVER WITH CLEAN COLD WATER.
3. PLACE LID ON POT AND BRING POTATOES TO A BOIL.
4. COOK ON MEDIUM HIGH HEAT TILL A SHARP KNIFE WILL CUT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF THE POTATOES WITHOUT MEETING RESISTANCE.
5. DON'T OVERCOOK THE POTATOES. THE JACKETS SHOULD BE INTACT AT THIS POINT.
6. REMOVE YAMS FROM THE HEAT, PLACE UNDER COLD RUNNING WATER.
7. CHANGE WATER EVERY 4-6 MINUTES TO BRING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE YAMS DOWN QUICKLY.
8. ALLOW THE YAMS TO SIT IN THE COLD WATER TILL YOU ARE READY TO REMOVE THE JACKETS.
9. STORE THE POT IN THE REFRIGERATOR IF YOU ARE PREPARING THE DISH THE NIGHT BEFORE.
10. THEN DRAIN THE YAMS AND USE A SHARP KNIFE TO GENTLY SLICE AWAY THE PEELS RATHER THAN SCRAPE THE FLESH.
11. YOU CAN LOSE LOTS OF POTATO BY SCRAPING, AND CUTTING SEEMS TO LEAVE A CLEANER, NEATER LOOK FOR THE FINAL PRESENTATION.
12. RUN THE POTATOES UNDER COLD RUNNING WATER FOR A FINAL RINSE.
13. SLICE THE POTATOES IN ROUNDS OF 1/2"-3/4" THICK AND ARRANGE BY OVERLAPPING SLIGHTLY IN THE BAKING DISH.
14. YOU WILL NEED TO ESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF SUGAR NEEDED TO COVER THE YAMS.
15. I LIKE TO USE ENOUGH SUGAR OVER AND BETWEEN THE POTATOES TO ALMOST OBLITERATE THE OUTLINE OF THE YAMS.
16. DOT WITH THE BUTTER PIECES,
17. ADD WATER TO ALMOST COVER THE YAMS AND POP INTO A 450F PREHEATED OVEN.
18. GENERALLY, YOU CAN SET YOUR TIMER TO APPROX. 1/2 TO 3/4 OF AN HOUR BEFORE A FIRST TESTING OF THE SYRUP.
19. YOU WANT THE SYRUP TO BE BOILING QUITE VIGOROUSLY, BUT IF IT SPINS A THREAD WHEN ALLOWED TO SLIDE OFF A LARGE METAL SPOON, YOU NEED TO ADD APPROX. 1/4 -1/2 CUP OF WATER.
20. IN ORDER FOR THE YAMS TO CANDY, THEY MUST BAKE IN A BATH OF SYRUP THROUGHOUT THE BAKING PERIOD BUT YOU DON'T WANT IT TURNING TO SUGAR AS THE LIQUID EVAPORATES.
21. ADD THE 3/4 PKG. OF MINIATURE MARSHMALLOWS AND SLIDE THE DISH BACK INTO THE OVEN.
22. WATCH CLOSELY TO PREVENT THE MARSHMALLOWS FROM BURNING.
23. YOU WANT THEM TO MELT QUICKLY AND INCORPORATE INTO THE SYRUP.
24. YOU CAN HELP THE MARSHMALLOWS TO MIX WITH THE SYRUP BY USING YOUR SPOON TO GENTLY STIR, TAKING CARE NOT TO BREAK UP THE POTATOES.
25. AT THE SAME TIME BASTE THE YAMS.
26. IT TAKES ABOUT 2-3 QUICK BASTINGS AND STIRS WHILE THE MARSHMALLOWS ARE MELTING INTO THE SYRUP.
27. AFTER THEY ARE COMPLETELY MELTED, RETURN TO BASTE THE YAMS WITH THE THICK SYRUP EVERY 8-10 MINUTES.
28. TEST THE CONSISTENCY OF THE SYRUP EACH TIME YOU BASTE.
29. AGAIN, TAKE A SMALL AMOUNT OF SYRUP, ALLOW IT TO DRIP OFF THE METAL SPOON AND SEE IF IT SPINS A THREAD.
30. ALLOW THE SYRUP TO COOL SLIGHTLY AND TEST THE CONSISTENCY WITH A FINGER.
31. YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SYRUP WITH A THICK, SLOWLY FLOWING CONSISTENCY.
32. ADD SMALL AMOUNTS OF WATER AS NEEDED TO AVOID THE THREAD STAGE.
33. AS THE CANDYING PROCEDURE CONTINUES, THE YAMS WILL TAKE ON A NICE SLIGHTLY TRANSPARENT BRIGHT ORANGE COLOR.
34. IF YOU WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THE AMOUNT OF BROWNNESS AROUND THE TOP EDGE OF THE CASSEROLE DISH, IT WILL HELP YOU GAUGE AT WHAT TIME THE YAMS ARE THOROUGHLY CANDIED AND READY TO BE REMOVED FROM THE OVEN.
35. THE SURROUNDING EDGE OF THE DISH SHOULD NOT BECOME BURNED, BUT IT WILL BECOME A NICE DARK SPECKLED BROWN COLOR HERE AND THERE WHERE THE SYRUP HAS SPATTERED.
36. OVERALL THE BAKING PROCESS TAKES A TOTAL OF ABOUT AN HOUR.
37. THE TOP EDGES OF THE YAMS MAY BEGIN TO BROWN A LITTLE, JUST KEEP BASTING.
38. AT THE HOUR MARK, AGAIN TEST THE SYRUP, YOU DON'T WANT ANY THREADS NOW, JUST A NICE THICK SWEET SYRUP. YOUR YAMS ARE THEN DONE, REMOVE FROM THE OVEN AND GIVE ONE FINAL BASTING WITH THE SYRUP. ALLOW TO COOL.

THESE ARE VERY RICH AND SWEET. WE PREFER THE SWEETNESS OF THE YAMS TO THAT OF CRANBERRY SAUCE AT TURKEY TIME. THE PROCESS MAY SEEM TO BE TIME-CONSUMING, BUT THE RESULTS ARE WELL WORTH THE EFFORT. STORE LEFTOVERS COVERED IN THE REFRIGERATOR. THE YAMS WILL RETAIN THEIR NICE COLOR AND REHEAT WELL IN THE MICROWAVE. BET YOU WON'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE GETTING THE KIDS TO EAT THESE!