Name: Praline-topped Yams
Ingredients: 3 cans (1 lb each) yams in light syrup, drained; ½ cup margarine, melted; ½ cup heavy cream; 2 large eggs; 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar; ¾ cup chopped pecans; ¼ tbsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tbsp ground nutmeg; 1 tbsp vanilla

Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Praline-topped Yams

Oven325°F

Time20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the yam base

In a food processor, purée yams with 6 tbsp melted butter and 2 tbsp cream.
Add eggs and ½ cup brown sugar.
Process until blended.
Spread half the yam mixture in a shallow 2‑quart baking dish.
With remaining yam mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe large rosettes over the mixture.
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Make the praline topping

In a small pan, mix remaining melted butter, cream, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ¼ tbsp salt.
Bring to a boil.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Bake and serve

Spoon the praline mixture over the center of the yam mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
If desired, garnish with toasted pecan halves.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

506Calories

10 gProtein

43 gFat

21 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 10 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Pecans	1 oz (28g / ~19 halves)	196
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Nutmeg	1 tsp ground (2.2g)	12
Vanilla	1 tsp extract (4ml)	12
Cinnamon	1 tsp ground (2.6g)	6
Yam	not in our table	0
Syrup	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together11,917 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Yam + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together41 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Yam + nutmegtop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together29 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Syrup + sugartop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,842 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Pecans + cinnamontop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,047 recipes

Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Yams: Form the soft, creamy body of the dish.
Eggs: Bind the yam mixture so it sets when baked.
Heavy cream: Adds richness and moisture to the yam base and praline.
Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a caramel flavor to the praline topping.
Pecans: Add crunch and nutty flavor to the praline topping.
Margarine: Provides fat for richness and smooth texture in the yam base.

The step that matters

Simmer the praline for 5 minutes. Boiling brown sugar with cream and fat thickens the mixture as water evaporates and sugar concentrates. Simmering for the stated time gives a spoonable sauce that bakes into a glossy topping; cutting it short leaves it thin and running.

Swap the pecans

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (yam, syrup, cream, egg, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg):

Almondfits better
Pistachiofits better
Chestnutfits better
Pecansthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against yam, syrup, cream, egg, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Praline-topped Yams