Candied Yams

In the past our family poured the canned yams and liquid into a skillet, added some brown sugar then let it boil down. I think the purpose of simmering so long was to create a thick, syrupy sauce. But what we would end up with was mushy yams and runny sauce.
Last Thanksgiving (2010) I got a bright idea for the sweet potatoes. I thought about the sauce we make for sticky popcorn and decided to work with those ingredients plus corn starch for thickening.

1 large can sweet yams
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Drain and reserve yams juice from can. Add water until you have 1 cup of liquid. Add 1 Tbsp corn starch and stir until dissolved. In a skillet add butter and liquid, stir constantly over medium heat until thickened. Add corn syrup and brown sugar. Boil for 1 minute. Place canned yams in syrup and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes until yams are hot in center. This dish will truly become a family favorite. Enjoy!