My preference is for pie in the morning. A deep dish loaded with seasonal fruit lightly sweetened with sugar wrapped in a buttery crust – a perfectly balanced meal I’d say.

I often wake up with the first thought of the morning leaning towards pastries. At home scones are practically a sixth member of the family. Softly sweet, tender and flaky. Warm with a bit of jam running down it’s sugary top.

If I’m not quite awake and ready to cut in cold butter with flour than I simply walk around the corner to our neighborhood bakery and choose from an assortment of fresh baked goods.

With the lines happily blurred between breakfast and dessert in my mind it’s no wonder why I was so drawn to this breakfasty version of Creme Brulee.

Tangy and thick Greek yogurt is given the brulee treatment with a light dusting of sugar.

Let’s start from the beginning. The idea came from Nigel Slater, as many of my latest inspirations have. His book, Real Fast Food, is one of few books that I cook from again and again. Many pages are stuck together, glued shut from random cooking splatterings. Many pages are marked with recipes and ideas to try and I’ve had the book for not quite three weeks.  In this small photo-less book there are over 350 recipes – all of them simple, using few ingredients with most of which you probably have on hand. Some are mere guidelines as is the case of the one we are discussing currently.

If you are using the broiler, stick the dish of sugared yogurt directly under the preheated broiler for about 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar caramelizes into a golden crust.

Top your breakfast brulee with more fresh berries. Now, of course this could also double as an elegant dessert. Simple, subtly sweet yet fancy and sophisticated as things are when they have a French name associated with them.

*For those who have asked (Hi, Crystal!) This is the torch I use.

Yogurt Brulee

Nigel says to use a small ramekin or a shallow dish that may be the perfect home for a quiche on another morning. In the bottom of your dish place a handful of berries. I happened to have raspberries, Nigel had blackberries. In an act of defiance I covered my berries with a few passes of honey. On top of the berries there is yogurt. Level the top with a fine coat of sugar. Torch or broil to get a caramel, crisp cap. From my formal brulee training we would coat the custard with three fine layers of sugar torching in between each passing. The result was a deeply caramelized, sturdy and dense sweet layer that shattered with a mighty plunge of the spoon. So that's what I did.

Have you ever come up with an idea so genius that you know you’re pretty much guaranteed fame and fortune just for conceiving such a brilliant concept?

Well, the other day I came up with said idea.

I really do believe that the world will never be the same once this revelation is unveiled. I am pretty convinced that once I push the publish button on this very post the food network is going to be pounding down my door begging me to have my very own show. Those poor TV execs are going to be pushed aside by the dozens of publishers who will be throwing contracts in my face urging me to sign on to write volumes of cookbooks. Or at the very least you’ll read the following recipe and think “that looks delicious! I must make that right now and devour it in it’s entirety because of how fabulous that looks.” Which really is all I truly want.

Now I know that everything has been done under the sun so chances are this isn’t my idea at all. But I have never heard of it and while asking around have not met any one else who has heard of it either. So with out further ado this may or may not be an original idea but it’s new to me and I want to pass it on to you.

Are you ready? Are you sure?

I call it Yams Brulee (or sweet potato brulee, depending on what part of the country you are from).

The recipe could not be more simple.

Rub a yam with a hefty amount of softened butter and bake in a 350* oven until it is just about done. You should feel a touch of resistance when testing with a knife or fork.

Remove from the oven and cut in the middle lengthwise (hot dog style).

Sprinkle a touch of cinnamon on top of the yam. Add a pinch of salt then more butter to cover the exposed flesh. Continue to roast until completely tender.

Remove yams from the oven then let cool slightly. About 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle a fine layer of sugar over the top then TORCH IT until caramelized. Repeat with another fine layer of sugar.

There you have it. An incredible sweet/savory (and simple) side dish perfect for your holiday table.