Recipe(tried): Layered with Orange Sauce

I have this recipe from "McCall's Cooking School", 1984, The McCall Publishing Company. It serves 8, however, it can easily be halved.
3 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 6 medium)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
1 cup light or dark sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups orange juice
2 tablespoons orange peel, coarsely grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4" slices.

1.) Scrub potatoes under cold water and place in a large saucepot and add the 1 tsp. of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2.) Remove potatoes from water and let drain. When cool enough to handle, use a small knife to peel skins from potatoes, then cut crosswise into 1/2" thick slices; set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3.) In a medium-size skillet, melt butter over moderately high heat. Add brown sugar, o.j., orange peel and 1/4 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until syrup is thick.
4.) Add apple slices to orange sauce; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally to turn apple slices in sauce, for 5 minutes, or until apples are just tender. Remove apple slices from sauce and set aside.
5.) In a 2-quart shallow casserole dish, alternately arrange sweet potato and apple slices in rows. Spoon half of the orange syrup evenly over the sweet potatoes and apples; reserve remaining syrup. Cover with aluminum foil (I spray the foil with PAM first, so it doesn't stick to the syrup) and bake for 25 minutes.
6.) Remove foil from baking dish, baste apples and potatoes with remaining syrup. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until glazed and very tender. Happy Baking, Chef Joy L.