Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Yammies

Ingredients:
Yams - canned or fresh, baked at 400 F for 45-60 minutes.  Enough for 10 people
Oranges - enough for each person to have a half orange (*the half-rind of the orange will ultimately serve as a bowl for the yams.)
pinch ginger
Pinch salt
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Mini-marshmallows
Brown or white sugar, if needed

1. Cut the cleaned oranges in half.  Scoop out carefully and save insides for juice.
2. In large bowl, mash yams with with enough orange juice to feel like mashed potatoes.

3. Season with ginger, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar to taste.  If you are especially decadent, add some melted butter for extra richness.

4. Stuff oranges with yam mixture, leaving a little room at the top to hold marshmallows.

5. Top all of the orange-yam halves with marshmallows.

6. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, or until marshmallows toast and yam filling is hot.

I want to say one more thing about this tasty recipe.  I use canned sweet potatoes (usually 2 large cans).  I realize that yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing!  But the can says "sweet potatoes" and lists the ingredients as yams.  There's a reason for this:  The difference between yams and sweet potatoes, and USDA labeling requirements

I make this for Thanksgiving every year.
Here is this year's batch before the oven: