4 pounds yams
1 1-quart jar canned peaches in light syrup or juice
1/4 cup Calvados
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup currants (or raisins)
Topping:
¼ pound butter at room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ cups (or 6 oz.) pecan pieces
1. Wash the yams, pierce several times with fork or knife and roast at 450 until tender all the way through (will depend on size of yams, 45+ minutes.)
2. Peel the skins off with your fingers (they should slide off easily). Then cut the yams into 1-inch chunks and place them in a large mixing bowl. Reserve.
3. Drain the peaches and pat them dry on paper towels. Reserve the juice. Then cut the fruit into uniform 1/2-inch pieces.
4. In a saucepan, combine the Calvados, brown sugar, and currants and ½ cup of the juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Then strain the liquid and reserve the currants separately.
5. Add the yams and the Calvados-peach syrup mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Purée quickly until the yams are just smooth. (Depending on the size of your food processor, you may want to do this in two or three batches.) Transfer the mixture to a casserole or soufflé dish, stir in the peaches and currants.
Prepare the topping.
6. Prepare the topping. Cut up butter into 1 tablespoon pieces. Mix butter with sugar, flour and pecan pieces (I do this with my washed hands.) Spread on top of of the yam mixture.
7. Preheat the oven to 375º. Bake in the preheated oven until the yams are well heated (about 30-40 minutes). Let the casserole rest for 20 minutes before serving so that the peaches do not burn your mouth.