Whisky (Or Bourbon) Baked Sweet Potatoes (Or Yams)

This recipe is a combination of my Dad's Candied Yam recipe and one from Gourmet. I prefer the darker sweet potato (which he called a yam) over the lighter yellow sweet potato. I like to use McClelland's Highland Scotch Whisky, but you can use any whisky/whiskey/bourbon you prefer; a friend told me she even made them with rum. I've also had good luck with making them in advance; arranging them in the dish, adding the syrup, and refrigerating them until it's time to bake them. This dish smells so good while baking: like cinnamon rolls, or the steam from a hot-buttered rum. And they taste almost like a dessert (I think they end up with a firm, custard-like consistency). At my family & friends' request, I now have to make them for every Thanksgiving and holiday meal.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 25 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3  lbs  yams or 3  lbs sweet potatoes
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup sugar-free maple syrup or 1⁄2 cup  regular maple syrup
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  freshly ground nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
• 1⁄3 cup  Scotch whisky, to taste

Directions

1. Grease a shallow 3qt baking dish; set aside.
2. Steam or boil the peeled yams until almost tender; cool and slice into approximately 1 1/2 inch slices (you want them to fit in a the 3qt baking dish in one layer).
3. Preheat oven to 375°F.
4. In a small saucepan, simmer brown sugar, syrup, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and syrup thickens, about 5 minutes; Remove from heat and stir in whisky (or other liquor of choice).
5. Drizzle syrup over yams. Cover with aluminum foil (at this point, they may be refrigerated until you're ready to bake them). Bake the yams, basting every 15-20 minutes, until syrup has thickened and absorbed (note: not all the syrup will absorb), about 1 1/4 hours. May be served hot, warm, or at room temperature.