Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Spiced Maple Sauce

This one is also from Aida Mollenkamp.

This is the best time of year to make this recipe because sweet potatoes (yams) are so cheap! This is my favorite way to make sweet potatoes. They are so good! I always make these when I make the Apple Cider Pork Tenderloin as the main dish.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

* 2/3 cup roughly chopped pecans (I skip these. Andy doesn't like nuts.)
* 3 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into large dice (I like them little so they bake faster)
* Salt and pepper
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (I use 3 Tbs)
* 3 tablespoons maple syrup
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I skip this.)

Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees F and arrange rack in the middle.

While oven heats, place pecans on a baking sheet to toast until they smell nutty and are slightly darker, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss to coat. Roast until golden brown and tender when pierced with a knife, about 40 to 45 minutes. (Watch the cooking time. Sometimes it only takes 25 minutes.)

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. (Melting it in the microwave works just fine too.) When it foams, stir in maple syrup and cayenne and let cook briefly, about 1 minute. Serve sweet potatoes with a drizzle of maple butter and a scattering of pecans.