For those that know me well, you know that around this time of year, one of the things I love to make is Lefse, that Norwegian "delicacy". The first time I made it, I didn't have all the tools. I made it by rolling it out on my table with tons of flour. Needless to say, it was a little tough and dry.
About 5 years ago two of my Norwegian cousins and I got together to make lefse at my cousin's house, he's a chef. One of my other cousins (I have about 55 on my paternal Norwegian side) joined us. They both wanted to learn how I made it. I have a little story about my chef cousin and this first time, but I don't want to embarrass him. It's cute, and I couldn't believe I taught him something!
We try to get together every year so make lefse. This is my cousin, the chef, and I the first time we got together. I get a little messy.
For many years I would make lefse and sell it to my coworkers in New Ulm, I also made Krumkake and sold that too. When I first moved to Mankato, briefly I had a sign outside, hanging from my mailbox advertising that I made lefse to sell. I took it down almost right away but before that happened someone from the Mankato Free Press saw it and contacted me wanting to interview me on my lefse. So I had my 15 minutes of fame, the article was entitled "A Lefse Lineage", no longer available online. Here's a photo of the article. It talks about me making lefse on my grandmother's table and wanting to carry on the art and tradition of making lefse from my paternal Grandmother, Ida.
So today I thought I'd take a detour from card making and share with you my love of lefse. Now, if you're not Norwegian, you may find it too bland. But for me and my cousins growing up, it was a treat when Grandma made lefse on her wood stove and it was heavenly perfection. My daughter doesn't like it, but I'm hoping I can at least pass on the tradition of making it to either her or her children.
Our tools today, haven't varied too much. If you want to make lefse it is essential to have a pastry board and cloth, a lefse rolling pin, a "stocking" for your lefse rolling pin, lefse stick and griddle.
Traditionally lefse is made with potatoes, butter, milk and flour and the potatoes were cooked and riced or made with mashed potatoes. Over the years, I have learned that my best lefse comes from (horrors) instant potatoes. Potatoes have water and you never know what the level of water content will be in your potatoes, I can control this by using instant. I have use used potato buds and flakes. I find no difference. My lefse turns out very supple and thin. The flour is added to the cooled potatoes right before you start rolling.
My method is to make the balls, the size is determined by the size of lefse you want. My lefse pieces are usually about 10", can't say round because they hardly ever are "round". I make all my balls put them on a plate and put the plate in the frig. then I take 3 or 4 out at a time, on a smaller plate and roll them. The dough is easier to work with when it's cool.
Make sure that your rolling pin stocking and your pastry board are well floured so your dough doesn't stick. I set my griddle to 500 degrees, the highest temp. After you roll out a ball, you lift it from the pastry board with the lefse stick (keeping the stick level with the board) by sliding the stick under the round. Then, from left to right or right to left, you roll the round off your stick onto the griddle. When it starts to form little brown spots on the underside you lift it with your stick again, using same process as before, and roll it back onto the griddle. When it is done, I place it flat between in the middle of a flour sack dishtowel that has been folded in quarters, and dampened, leave them there to cool.
Now my chef cousin, makes his smaller about 6-8 inches and they fit nicely, lying flat, in a gallon size Ziploc bag. I fold mine into quarters and they fit into a quart size bag. Make sure you get the freezer bags if you are going to freeze some. It freezes well for months, though it never lasts that long.
I like to eat my lefse the way we traditionally had it at my grandmother's, with some butter and sugar. My brother likes his with peanut butter, and some people like it with brown sugar. In Norway it was also wrapped around a piece of fish and eaten that way.
Here's my recipe:
Yield 12 lefse
Instant Potatoes:
2/3 c milk
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 tsp salt.
I usually double the recipe
If you like the traditional recipe with fresh potatoes here is one for you. (If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer with a food grinder that works wonderfully for ricing the potatoes, this is the method my church used when we would make lefse with 200 lbs. of potatoes, it always sold out before the 11:00 service)
Boil potatoes with jackets on. Peel and grind/rice.
3 c. potatoes
3 Tbsp. melted butter or shortening
3 Tbsp. 12% cream
1 c. sifted flour
1 Tbsp. salt
Mix together. Chill. Roll out thin and bake on dry griddle or lefse plate.
I hope you enjoy this.
Now, I think I'll have some more lefse!
Bon Appétit!
About 5 years ago two of my Norwegian cousins and I got together to make lefse at my cousin's house, he's a chef. One of my other cousins (I have about 55 on my paternal Norwegian side) joined us. They both wanted to learn how I made it. I have a little story about my chef cousin and this first time, but I don't want to embarrass him. It's cute, and I couldn't believe I taught him something!
We try to get together every year so make lefse. This is my cousin, the chef, and I the first time we got together. I get a little messy.
For many years I would make lefse and sell it to my coworkers in New Ulm, I also made Krumkake and sold that too. When I first moved to Mankato, briefly I had a sign outside, hanging from my mailbox advertising that I made lefse to sell. I took it down almost right away but before that happened someone from the Mankato Free Press saw it and contacted me wanting to interview me on my lefse. So I had my 15 minutes of fame, the article was entitled "A Lefse Lineage", no longer available online. Here's a photo of the article. It talks about me making lefse on my grandmother's table and wanting to carry on the art and tradition of making lefse from my paternal Grandmother, Ida.
So today I thought I'd take a detour from card making and share with you my love of lefse. Now, if you're not Norwegian, you may find it too bland. But for me and my cousins growing up, it was a treat when Grandma made lefse on her wood stove and it was heavenly perfection. My daughter doesn't like it, but I'm hoping I can at least pass on the tradition of making it to either her or her children.
Our tools today, haven't varied too much. If you want to make lefse it is essential to have a pastry board and cloth, a lefse rolling pin, a "stocking" for your lefse rolling pin, lefse stick and griddle.
rolling pin, stocking and pastry cloth, below
a lefse griddle
and a lefse stick for turning the lefse (on the left).
Traditionally lefse is made with potatoes, butter, milk and flour and the potatoes were cooked and riced or made with mashed potatoes. Over the years, I have learned that my best lefse comes from (horrors) instant potatoes. Potatoes have water and you never know what the level of water content will be in your potatoes, I can control this by using instant. I have use used potato buds and flakes. I find no difference. My lefse turns out very supple and thin. The flour is added to the cooled potatoes right before you start rolling.
My method is to make the balls, the size is determined by the size of lefse you want. My lefse pieces are usually about 10", can't say round because they hardly ever are "round". I make all my balls put them on a plate and put the plate in the frig. then I take 3 or 4 out at a time, on a smaller plate and roll them. The dough is easier to work with when it's cool.
Make sure that your rolling pin stocking and your pastry board are well floured so your dough doesn't stick. I set my griddle to 500 degrees, the highest temp. After you roll out a ball, you lift it from the pastry board with the lefse stick (keeping the stick level with the board) by sliding the stick under the round. Then, from left to right or right to left, you roll the round off your stick onto the griddle. When it starts to form little brown spots on the underside you lift it with your stick again, using same process as before, and roll it back onto the griddle. When it is done, I place it flat between in the middle of a flour sack dishtowel that has been folded in quarters, and dampened, leave them there to cool.
Now my chef cousin, makes his smaller about 6-8 inches and they fit nicely, lying flat, in a gallon size Ziploc bag. I fold mine into quarters and they fit into a quart size bag. Make sure you get the freezer bags if you are going to freeze some. It freezes well for months, though it never lasts that long.
I like to eat my lefse the way we traditionally had it at my grandmother's, with some butter and sugar. My brother likes his with peanut butter, and some people like it with brown sugar. In Norway it was also wrapped around a piece of fish and eaten that way.
Here's my recipe:
Yield 12 lefse
Instant Potatoes:
Heat:
2-1/3
cups water2/3 c milk
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 tsp salt.
Remove
from heat and stir in 2-2/3 c pototo buds/flakes
Chill
When
ready to make lefse add 1-1/2 c flour and mix together thoroughly (I use my hands). Roll out in balls and bake on dry lefse plate (whether it's Teflon coated or not, do not grease plate)
I usually double the recipe
If you like the traditional recipe with fresh potatoes here is one for you. (If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer with a food grinder that works wonderfully for ricing the potatoes, this is the method my church used when we would make lefse with 200 lbs. of potatoes, it always sold out before the 11:00 service)
Boil potatoes with jackets on. Peel and grind/rice.
3 c. potatoes
3 Tbsp. melted butter or shortening
3 Tbsp. 12% cream
1 c. sifted flour
1 Tbsp. salt
Mix together. Chill. Roll out thin and bake on dry griddle or lefse plate.
I hope you enjoy this.
Now, I think I'll have some more lefse!
Bon Appétit!
