Yam Puffs

There were two recipes in Grandma's box that called for either yams or sweet potatoes. Both were sweet casseroles of a sort and were probably meant to be served at a holiday meal such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. The thing was, I had no memory of either of these recipes. I don't remember having sweet potatoes or yams for either of those meals when I was young. Grandma's Turkey Dressing was always the main attraction of the meal, that and my mom's delicious pies. But this dish? Nope, no memory at all. 

Clearly, Grandma had made it, though. The card was stained, and she'd added notes in a different color of pen as though she'd tried it multiple ways. I was curious to know what it tasted like, and finally, the time arrived to find out. 

How to Make Yam Puffs

After moving away from home, I discovered the delights of a good sweet potato casserole, so I knew I preferred baking my sweet potatoes, or yams, rather than boiling them. I had decided to test both of Grandma's sweet potato/yam dishes at once, so I placed enough on the cookie sheet to make a half recipe of both. 

I baked them until they were soft and the juices were beginning to ooze. Once they were cool enough to handle, I peeled and cut them up. One of the pros of baking them was that the peel came right off.  

After giving them a good mash, I placed the amount I would need for half a recipe of Yam Puffs into a bowl. 

I then added the butter, cream, salt, zest, and egg yolks. I know, I should have only added one egg yolk, but I didn't realize my mistake at the time. 

I beat that together, but the butter didn't completely incorporate. Too late, I realized I should have beaten it and the sugar with the yams before adding the liquids. I crossed my fingers and hoped the baking process would smooth everything out. 

The next task was to beat the egg whites. I beat them to stiff peaks, then folded them into the yam mixture. 

I sprayed a 9-inch round baking dish with nonstick spray and spread the mixture in. I'd made the dish early in the day, so I placed the dish into the fridge to be baked later. 

When dinner time approached, I removed the dish from the fridge and prepared to sprinkle on the toppings. Grandma didn't specify an amount for the pecans, so I eyeballed it in a generous way. Grandma also mentioned that she'd added marshmallows, so I sprinkled some on half the dish as a test.  

I placed the dish in the preheated oven and set the time for 25 minutes, as the recipe said. When the time was up, the dish didn't seem brown enough, so I left it in. I ended up baking it for another ten minutes. This is what it looked like when it came out. Beautiful. 

The verdict on Yam Puffs

Since my ignorant beginnings, I'd had the chance to taste a sweet potato casserole or two, and this one ranked among the best I'd had. The texture was light and fluffy, probably due to the overly generous amount of egg whites I'd added, but even with the correct amount, this puff would still be airier than the typical sweet potato casserole. 

The rest of the family agreed that this was a yummy dish. The marshmallows were perfectly toasted and gooey, and most of the family liked that side the best. In the future, I'll sprinkle marshmallows over the whole top, not just half, and I'll be just as generous with the pecans, which added a delicious crunch. To sum things up, this holiday side dish had me asking where it had been all my life. Take it from us, Yam Puffs would make the absolute best Thanksgiving side dish. 

By the way, I don't know why the title is plural, but the addition of puffy marshmallows does help it make more sense. I hope you'll try it this Thanksgiving. If you do, let me know what you think.