Maple Glazed Yams And Apples Recipes

MAPLE YAMS WITH APPLES & CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Scrub yams thoroughly, place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F until cooked but still somewhat firm, about 30-40 minutes.
• Set yams aside to cool.
• Slice apples thinly. Leave the skin on, for its color, its wonderful nutritional value, and so the apples keep their shape. I used Granny Smiths because they have a nice tartness and don't fall apart in baking, but Golden Delicious or similar would also be good.
• Toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.
• Combine all remaining ingredients EXCEPT for cranberries in small saucepan, and cook until sugar is dissolved, creating a thin sauce.
• Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Slice sweet potatoes into thick slices, or cut into chunks as desired, leaving the skins on. (Remember--fiber is good!).
• Assemble casserole in a greased 9x13x2-inch baking dish (stoneware or glass), layering the yams, then apples, then the cranberries. There should be enough for two layers of each.
• Pour sauce over the top of the casserole.
• Bake uncovered casserole for 30-45 minutes, basting intermittently with its own juices (or with extra fruit juice for a more moist casserole--I used some apple cider I had on hand) until apples are tender and dish is hot.
• Let sit for 10 minutes before serving, if possible, so the juices can thicken up a bit.
• Variation: Drizzle lightly before serving with some warm maple syrup and/or flax oil.
• Alternatively: if you're preparing it ahead of time, cover dish with foil and refrigerate overnight, and bake as usual the next day.
• Note on the "maple syrup": you must use natural maple syrup, not pancake syrup! I used Grade B--it has a higher nutrient content and a richer flavor. If you don't have maple syrup on hand, just use honey instead. The taste won't be as rich, but it will still be yummy.

MAPLE GLAZED APPLE AND SWEET POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350. Let the kids coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter; set aside.
• In a small pan, melt remaining butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until well blended and cooked, about 1 minute. Add maple syrup, salt and brown sugar. Simmer, whisking frequently, until the sugar dissolves and sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove sauce from heat.
• Help kids arrange a row of sweet potato and apple slices, alternating and overlapping them, in the prepared pan. They can continue to make rows until the pan is full. Pour the sauce evenly over potatoes and apples. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake 40 minutes.
• Raise oven temperature to 450. Remove foil from pan and use a spoon to baste the juices over the top. Bake an additional 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and nicely browned, basting juices over the top every 10 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 oven up to 30 minutes.

MAPLE GLAZED SWEET POTATOES AND APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish, alternate potato and apple slices in rows, packing tightly.
• Combine remaining ingredients in heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour hot syrup over potatoes and apples. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake 1 hour. Uncover casserole. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead to this point. Let stand at room temperature, basting occasionally with pan juices.) Reduce oven temperature to 350°F Bake until potatoes and apples are very tender and syrup is reduced to a thick glaze, basting occasionally, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

YAM AND APPLE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place yams in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 30 minutes, or until tender but firm. Drain, peel, and cut into 1/3 inch thick slices.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the cornstarch and brown sugar. Mix in the apple juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, and allspice.
• Alternate layers of yams and apples in the prepared baking dish. Pour the apple juice mixture over the layers.
• Cover, and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven. Remove cover, and continue baking 30 minutes. Baste frequently with the juices from the pan to prevent drying.

MAPLE-GLAZED YAMS WITH PECAN TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add yams. Cook until water returns to simmer, about 4 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water.
• Arrange yams in prepared dish, overlapping slightly. Season with salt. Pour syrup over yams. Dot with 3 tablespoons butter. Cover and bake until yams are almost tender, about 25 minutes.
• Mix flour and brown sugar in medium bowl. Add remaining 5 tablespoons butter. Rub in with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in pecans.
• Sprinkle pecan mixture atop yams. Bake yams until tender, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cool. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Rewarm, uncovered, in 375°F oven 20 minutes.)

GLAZED APPLES AND SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Place sweet potatoes on cookie sheet; prick with fork. Roast 1 hour or until almost tender. Let stand 45 minutes or until cool. Peel; cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices.
• Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, toss apples and lemon juice. Arrange potatoes and apples alternately in baking dish. Pour remaining lemon juice in bowl over potatoes and apples.
• In 2-quart saucepan, stir together brown sugar, honey, butter, bourbon, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally; boil 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour glaze over potatoes and apples.
• Roast uncovered 30 minutes. Spoon glaze from bottom of dish over potatoes and apples. Sprinkle with pecans. Roast 14 to 15 minutes longer or until apples are browned. Spoon glaze over top before serving.