lefse

Once or twice a winter our family gathers to make lefse.  This year it was the second generation (my parents) and the third generation (Lisa and I and friend Perry) and the fourth generation (Kaylee and Chase).  Nikole (fourth generation) makes lefse at her home and is carrying on the tradition.  She has promised to do a post with her recipe. 

Last year Ruth,  a friend of Mom and Dad, shared with them her recipe and it has become our new favorite.  Where our previous favorite recipe used chilled mashed potatoes this recipe calls for cooking a few  potatoes at a time and rolling them out while still warm. 

Here are a few action shots followed by the recipe.

two lefse rolling pins one with the stockinette on

Lisa at work rolling out the lefsea

one lefse on the board and one on the grill

We use two grills,a stick is used to turn

once cooked the folded  lefses are tucked in a dish towel

a growing pile of lefses

 

Ruth's lefse

Cook five medium potatoes at a time.  Rice them and measure out 2 cups.  While rolling and grilling the first batch another five potatoes are cooking for the second batch.  We used the same potato water, adding more as it cooked away.  

To the 2 cups of riced potatoes add

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup cream 

Mix well and then add 

1 1/2 cup flour.  

Divide the lefse dough into ten roughly equal pieces and shape into balls.  We dipped each of the balls into flour and then rolled them out very thinly adding additional flour as needed to keep them from sticking. We use a lefse turning stick to transfer the lefse rounds to the grill.  When the bottom is cooked the stick is used to turn the lefse  over to cook the top side.  When the second side is cooked the turning stick is used to lift the lefse from the grill and  they are placed, folded in quarters, in a pile and covered by a dish towel.  The towel keeps the heat and moisture in and the lefses are  kind of steamed.   Once the pile has cooled we  package them in  ziplock bags and freeze them for Christmas or eat them fresh.  We usually apply a thin layer of butter and a sprinkle of sugar before rolling them up.  We used ten pounds of potatoes (russets) which made 6 or maybe 7 batches.