Baked Sweet Potato-Apple Latkes with Brandied Apples

We love latkes! My grandmother used to make what she called "potato pancakes" for us all the time when my brothers and I were little. Hers were usually leftover mashed potatoes held together with a little egg and cooked on a griddle. We have a version in our cookbook, The Southern Vegetarian, that we serve with beluga lentils.

Here, we invite sweet potatoes to the latke party. We're serving them baked in the oven, not fried as is the tradition. We think of this as a healthier take on the classic dish, but it wouldn't be one of our recipes without just a little naughty with the nice. We top our latkes with a flavorful blend of apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and brandy. It's so good you may never make them the old way again!

Baked Sweet Potato-Apple Latkes

1 medium sweet potato (peeled, grated)
1 apple (peeled, grated)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil (more for drizzling)
2 tablespoons almond meal
1/4 cup finely diced white onion
1 large egg (beaten)
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)

Brandied Apples (recipe follows)
2% Greek yogurt
Chives (to garnish)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Into a large mixing bowl, place the sweet potato, apple, vinegar, canola, almond meal, onion, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. Onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, place about 1/8 cup of the mixture and smooth it flat into a 2-inch circle. Repeat with remaining mixture. Drizzle with an additional tablespoon of oil. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, flip, and bake an additional 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown and tender.

Serve with Brandied Apples and Greek yogurt and garnish with chives or green onions. Makes 8-10 latkes. (Serves 2 to 4.)

Brandied Apples

2 apples (peeled, sliced into thin 1-inch pieces)
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil margarine
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon brandy
pinch of sea salt
1 cup water (add a tablespoon at a time to steam)

In a medium saucepan, combine apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, brandy, and salt. Place it on medium-high heat, stirring often and frequently adding a tablespoon of water when pan gets dry.