Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes With Pecan Topping

You may prepare and bake this complete dish hours ahead, and let sit at room temperature, just rewarm in a 375 degree oven, uncovered for about 20 minutes.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup pure maple syrup, plus
• 2  tablespoons maple syrup (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps in all)
• 6  tablespoons butter (no subs!)
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed (or use 1/2 cup unpacked)
• 7  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄2-1  teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups  chopped pecans
• 4  lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1/4-inch slices (you can slice them larger but you might have to increase the cooking time slightly)
•  boiling water, with
• 1  tablespoon salt

Directions

1. Set oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
3. In a large pot bring water with about 1 tablespoon salt to a full boil.
4. Add in sweet potatoes and bring back to a boil; simmer/blanch for about 5 minutes (no more than 5 minutes at a boil); drain and rinse under COLD water; pat dry slightly with paper towels.
5. Arrange the potatoes in the buttered dish, overlapping slighty.
6. Sprinkle with about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt.
7. Pour the maple syrup over potatoes in the dish.
8. Dot with about 6 tablespoons butter.
9. Cover with foil, and bake until the potatoes are ALMOST tender (about 25-30 minutes).
10. In a small bowl or cup mix the flour and brown sugar together.
11. Add in 7 tablespoons butter; rub together with fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; mix in pecans.
12. Remove the dish from oven and sprinkle the pecan mixture over over the potatoes.
13. Return to oven (uncovered) to bake for another 20 minutes.