“Family traditions counter alienation and confusion. They help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world.” ~ Susan Lieberman
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
Lefse bakes between Thanksgiving and Christmas have long been a Hensrud family tradition. I grew up with my grandmother making it, but it was passed on to my husband from his father. This year ‘Papa John’ peeled the potatoes and made the base, our son was the lead ‘roller’ and his son helped as a ‘flipper’… it is fun to pass on family traditions. I cracked my hip the Saturday before Thanksgiving so got to watch and taste, along with the rest of our family… tasters are also an essential part of the process!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This week’s recipe is John’s traditional family recipe for potato lefse. The trick is starting with real potatoes riced twice, chilled dough, and rolling it thin and even. My cousin joined us for this year’s lefse bake and said it was the best lefse he had tasted… at least so far this season!
- 10 pounds white (russet) potatoes
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups flour, plus more for rolling
Peel, cut up and boil 10 pounds of white (russet) potatoes in a large kettle with 2 teaspoons of salt. When tender, drain and rice the potatoes into a large bowl while still hot. Mix with an electric mixer into two batches, each with…
- 7 cups hot riced potatoes
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Place each batch in a gallon zip lock bag and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to roll, take out one bag at a time… the cooler the dough the easier it is to roll. Rice one batch again, into a large bowl. Add a rounded cup of flour and mix well.
One at a time, pinch off dough and actively shape into a two-inch ball. Using a grooved rolling pin, roll into a thin round on a stretched pastry cloth, turning once or twice to avoid sticking.
Cook on a dry griddle at 450 degrees (flipping to cook evenly on both sides) and place between dishtowels or other fabric to keep soft while cooking the rest of the batch. Fold into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap and place in zip lock bag…traditionally three rounds to a package.
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