Preheat oven to 375 F.
Peel carrots & slice into discs or sticks.
Cut potatoes into 1/4ths or 1/8ths, around 1" x 1" pieces.
Put potatoes and carrots into boiling pot.
Add bay leaves to water.
Boil for 5-7 minutes, until a fork slides into a potato piece with minor resistance.
Pour potatoes & carrots through the strainer.
Melt the butter and add the spices to it (except for the salt and black pepper). Let the spices steep in the hot butter.
Empty the strainer onto the roasting pan and let the vegetables steam out.
When the steaming stops, move the vegetables from the roasting pan into a mixing bowl.
Pour the spice-sugar-butter mixture over the vegetables. Put one mixing bowl upside down inside the other, and shake them together to toss the vegetables in the butter mix.
Empty the potatoes & carrots back onto the roasting tray.
Sprinkle the salt and crack the black pepper over the top of the veggies before putting them in the oven.
Roast at 375 F for about 90 minutes, or until they brown up and look nicely roasted.
Alternatively, roast for about an hour until browning just starts, then finish in an air fryer at 390 F for 5-6 minutes.