Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them crosswise about ¼- inch thick.

Butter a large shallow baking dish (3 quart oval or 9 x 13 work). Arrange the sweet potatoes in concentric circles in the dish, overlapping the slices if you have an oval, or in stripes if you have a rectangle.

Pour ½ cup of the water over the sweet potatoes.

Cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes (just tender).

Increase the oven temperature to 425° F.

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and bourbon and spoon over the sweet potatoes.

Season with salt and black pepper and bake 25 minutes basting once until bourbon mixture absorbs/evaporates.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the cranberries, remaining ½ cup of water, and the brown sugar and boil over moderately high heat until the cranberries start to burst (10 minutes).

Drain the cranberries, but reserve the liquid.

[Make ahead STOP]

If you’re going to make ahead, remove from the oven at this point and cover with foil. If you’re making a day ahead, store in the fridge. It’s important that when you start the final steps, you are starting from room temperature, not cold. Let sit out at least an hour to come to room temperature. If you’re making same day, but early in the day, just cover with foil and leave on the counter.

[When you’re ready to... RESUME]

Whisk the cayenne and cinnamon into the cranberry liquid and spoon it over the sweet potatoes.

Bake at 425° F for 15 minutes until the potatoes are nicely glazed and most of the liquid has been absorbed (baste once or twice).

Remove from oven. Scatter the cranberries on top.

Bake 5 more minutes. Serve hot or warm.