Yams, baked with cinnamon and syrup, bring some sweet childhood memories. My mom, for the sake of being economical, never spent money on store-bought snacks so we would make our own snacks and desserts like plantains with syrup and cinnamon, homemade tortilla chips, and bananas with cream and sugar (not on Daniel Fast). I’m thankful for her legacy and now it is a pleasure to share a little bit of it with you. Please enjoy this delicious recipe and find out how tasty natural foods can be.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized yams (the large ones are often too ripe for this recipe)
• Agave nectar or pure maple syrup
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 cup orange juice (peel off a long curl of orange peel)
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves

Directions:

1. Peel, cube, and wash yams and then place them in a baking dish along with the cinnamon sticks and the orange peel studded with cloves (this makes it easy to remove them at the end).

2. Sprinkle with some agave nectar (at least a couple of tablespoons) and  pour the orange juice on the yams.

3. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes covered with foil.

4. Bake uncovered for 10-15 more minutes until slightly brown. Sprinkle with some cinnamon powder and serve with a cup of decaf tea if desired.

*Warning: If you bake the yams too long, they will be very soft, like baby food.