Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes With Pecan Topping - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup pure maple syrup, plus
2 tablespoons maple syrup (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps in all)
6 tablespoons butter (no subs!)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (or use 1/2 cup unpacked)
7 tablespoons butter
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1/4-inch slices (you can slice them larger but you might have to increase the cooking time slightly)
boiling water, with
1 tablespoon salt

Preparation

Set oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
In a large pot bring water with about 1 tablespoon salt to a full boil.
Add in sweet potatoes and bring back to a boil; simmer/blanch for about 5 minutes (no more than 5 minutes at a boil); drain and rinse under COLD water; pat dry slightly with paper towels.
Arrange the potatoes in the buttered dish, overlapping slighty.
Sprinkle with about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt.
Pour the maple syrup over potatoes in the dish.
Dot with about 6 tablespoons butter.
Cover with foil, and bake until the potatoes are ALMOST tender (about 25-30 minutes).
In a small bowl or cup mix the flour and brown sugar together.
Add in 7 tablespoons butter; rub together with fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; mix in pecans.
Remove the dish from oven and sprinkle the pecan mixture over over the potatoes.
Return to oven (uncovered) to bake for another 20 minutes.