Tomorrow,I've decided to try and make the candied sweet potatos my mom made for so many years.
Sadly, she's not here to ask.
I watched her make them many times, but never thought to ask for directions.
She was a great cook, and was one of those people who worked mostly without recipes. It was always by touch, or feel, or texture, etc.
I know that the sauce was a combination of brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and a little maple syrup.
She would combine the brown sugar and butter in a 3 quart saucepan and put over medium heat. After it had bubbled for a while she would add the maple syrup, and finally the vanilla extract.
She would let it continue cooking for a few more minutes and then would do this test, to see if it was ready.
If it was ready, she would pour the sauce over the sweet potatos, which were already cooked, peeled, sliced and arranged in a large low-sided pan.
Then the pan of sweet potatos and sauce would go in a 400 degree oven, uncovered, for about an hour.
I'm going to have to guess about the proportions, but what I really need help with, is the test.
She would take a cup of cold water and then take a partial spoon of the cooking sauce, and drop it in the water (the sauce, not the spoon).
That was the test, but I don't know what it signifies, and what I'm supposed to be looking for.
I think after the lttle spoon of sauce was in the water for a few seconds, she would take it out and roll the now partially solidified ball of sauce between her fingers.
Does anyone know what this test is and what I should be looking for?

Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Something with marshmallows, vanilla, and brown sugar.

I just use brown sugar and butter, like Outback does.