Maple-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Place whole sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.

3. Meanwhile, heat maple syrup and brown sugar in a small saucepan to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by just about half. Add cranberries and return to a boil. Cook until berries are popping open. Add butter and dried thyme; remove from the heat.

4. Slice cooled sweet potatoes into 1-inch rounds. Transfer to an 8x12-inch glass baking dish and arrange so potatoes are standing nearly on their sides and stacked like fallen dominoes. Stir hot syrup mixture, then pour it over the sweet potatoes, dispersing the cranberries as evenly as possible.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until berries on top begin to caramelize, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish each serving with a sprig of thyme.

Cook's Note:

You can use frozen cranberries if desired.