No, we can't all agree not to have candied yams. A princely dish. But the recipe is incomplete without pecans. Ofter had at New Year's.

Many recipes use fried onions. Good fried onions are not dry like French's.

Glazed Yams with Pecan Topping
(red-skinned), about 4 large (4 pounds)
Peel and cut into rounds, about 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 stick (1/4 pound) chilled butter, cut in pieces
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown or golden sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
(Optional- top with whole pecans)

Put yam slices in boiling salted water. Cook until water starts to bubble again. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Butter baking dish, about 9 x 13 inches. Put in yams, overlap slightly. Dot with 1/3 of the butter.
Bake at 375-400 F for about 25 minutes until yams moderately tender.
Mix flour and sugar, add remaining butter. Rub until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in chopped pecans.
Sprinkle pecan mixture on yams.
(Optional, add pecan halves as topping after baking the dish for about 15 minutes).
Bake for about 20 minutes at 375-400 F.
Can be covered and allowed to cool. Can be re-warmed (uncovered) at 350-375 F for 20 minutes prior to serving.

Many variants using mashed yams.