Sweet Breakfast Bagels

SWEET POTATO (CANDIED YAM) - Courtesy of Robert Kent

Ingredients:

3 lbs Sweet Potato or Yam(Orange Flesh) (about 4 medium sized)

1 ½ cup Apple Cider(Fresh unfiltered)

1” Fresh Ginger(peeled) (substitute 1/2 tsp ground Ginger)

½ to 1 Vanilla Bean(split) (substitute 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)

1 Cinnamon Stick (can use 1/2 tsp ground as substitute)

6 Tbsp Butter(unsalted)

½ to ¾ tsp Salt

¼ to ½ tsp Pepper(Freshly Ground)

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar(Light or Dark. Dark Muscovado preferred)

2 Tbsp Rum (Dark Preferred)

Preparation:

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees.

Wash and dry the Sweet Potatoes. Pierce each a few times with a fork and set them in the oven to Roast for approximately 45 minutes or until they pierce easily with a knife but before they begin to become mush. This will vary with the size of the potatoes. Allow them to cool until they can be comfortably handled or reach room temperature.

While the Potatoes roast put the Cider into a small saucepan with:

Peeled Ginger sliced approx 1/4" thick .

Vanilla Bean split and seeds scraped into pan.

Cinnamon Stick.

Bring Contents to a boil then turn down to low and simmer briskly until reduced to about 1/3 its original volume. You should have a scant 1/2 cup of strained liquid.

This may take 25-40 minutes. Set aside.

Reduce Oven to 375 degrees

Use 1-2 Tbsp of softened Butter to coat the bottom of a 9” casserole pan.

Peel the Sweet Potatoes and slice them approximately 1/2" thick and arrange them neatly in the casserole. Sprinkle them with the Salt and Pepper. Add the Rum to the reduced Cider and scrape out the seeds from inside the Vanilla Pod.

[If substituting Vanilla Extract and ground Cinnamon and Ginger add them now]

Pour the liquid over the Potatoes in the Casserole.

Dot small bits of the remaining butter over the top of the Potatoes in the casserole. Distribute the Brown Sugar evenly over the top.

Cover the Casserole loosely with Foil and cook approximately 35-45 minutes