Cream Bread

Someone asked me about Norwegian Cream Bread today -- but I've never made it. I did find one recipe for it so I'll have to try it soon.

Here's a link to the recipe I found. I'll keep you posted when I try it.

Norwegian Cream Bread Recipe

Lefse, Simplified

After making a lot of lefse every year, I keep looking for ways to make it easier. In my dream world, I'd build a machine that would do it while I watched from my chair!  Anyway, until that happens, I've got a slightly simplified version of my previous recipe that you might find easier to make. 

5 lbs. russet potatoes
1 large box Hungry Jack potato flakes
1 stick butter
1 cup canola (or other flavorless) oil
1 Tablespoon salt

Cook the potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cover with water in a large kettle (I use an 8 qt. stock pot and fill it about 3/4 full with the potatoes and water in it.). Add the salt to the water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are completely soft.

Add the butter and oil to the hot water so the butter melts completely.

Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes without draining off the water. It will look like you're making creamy potato soup.

Now add the potato flakes and mash together until you get fairly stiff mashed potatoes. You can add a little more water, if there isn't enough in the kettle, but be careful not to add too much because you need the potatoes to be quite firm -- not wet or mushy at all.

Now let the mashed potatoes cool until they're approximately room temperature. You can spread them out on a cookie sheet or divide them into smaller batches to speed up the cooling process.

If you refrigerate the potatoes overnight, just let them warm up before using them.  The conventional wisdom is to make them as cold as possible, but I find that the lefse tends to crack and break when the potatoes are too cold. 

Make the lefse dough

Adding flour to the mashed potato mixture turns it into lefse dough. This step should be done in small batches because you don't want the dough sitting around too long before you use it. If it does, it gets sticky and hard to handle. The dough should be spongy almost like play-dough, but not sticky or sloppy at all.

In a smaller bowl, add about 3 cups of mashed potatoes and add about 3/4 cup flour. Mix it with your hands so you can feel the dough change from wet mashed potatoes to spongy lefse dough. 

Do a test ball to see if the dough is mixed to the right consistency. Take a bit of dough and roll it into a ball in your hands. Press it flat in your hands like you're making a hamburger patty. If you see cracks around the edge of the patty, you need to mix the dough a little longer so it becomes more elastic.  If you don't see any cracks or maybe just a small one, it's ready to use.

Roll the lefse

Use an ice cream scoop to make each lefse the same size. Scoop a ball of dough and roll it in your hands. Place the ball between two heavy plastic sheets (a freezer bag cut open works great) and press down with a pie plate or clear glass plate until you get a round, flat patty of dough.

Transfer the flattened dough on to a well floured lefse board. Sprinkle with more flour on top and gently roll out the lefse from the center out -- like spokes of a wheel.

Slide the lefse stick under the center of the lefse and lift onto the hot lefse grill (500 degrees).

Cook for 10-15 seconds and flip on the other other side, cooking until small brown spots appear (8-10 seconds). Lefse grills vary in temperature so you may need to adjust your cooking time.

Transfer the cooked lefse onto a cooling rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight zip lock bag or tupperware container. 

Keep lefse on the counter for 1-2 days, in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, but freeze it if you need to keep it more than a few days. Frozen lefse thaws out quickly at room temperature. Just take it out in the morning the day you need it.

Let me know how it turns out for you! 

Lemon Meltaways

Lemon Meltaway Cookies have been a favorite of mine for quite a few years. I've made more of these cookies than I can count.  Here is the recipe and the amounts so you can make as many as you need.  

Lemon Meltaways

Dozen	3 ½ doz	7 ¼ doz	14 ½ doz	29 doz	58 doz	116 doz
AP Flour	1 ½ C.	3 C.	6 C.	12 C.	24 C.	48 C.
Cornstarch	½ C.	1 C.	2 C. (1 box)	4 C. (2 boxes)	8 C. (4 boxes)	8 boxes
Salt	¼ Tsp.	½ Tsp.	1 Tsp.	2 Tsp.	4 Tsp.	8 Tsp.
Powdered Sugar	¼ C.	½ C.	1 C.	2 C.	4 C.	8 C.
Butter, Softened	1 C.	2 C.	2 Lbs.	4 Lbs.	8 Lbs.	16 Lbs.
Vanilla	1 Tsp.	2 Tsp.	2 Tsp.	4 Tsp.	8 Tsp.	16 Tsp.
Lemon Zest	1 Tsp.	2 Tsp.	4 Tsp.	8 Tsp.	16 Tsp.	32 Tsp.
Lemon Juice	1 Tsp.	2 Tsp.	4 Tsp.	8 Tsp.	16 Tsp.	32 Tsp.

     

Mix butter, salt, vanilla, lemon juice and zest together until completely combined.

Add cornstarch and powdered sugar and mix completely, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour and mix thoroughly.

Chill the dough for about 30 mins if it seems too soft to handle.

Scoop with a small ice cream scoop (or use a tablespoon) onto a parchment lined baking sheet. You can also roll them into a ball to make them smoother. They don't spread very much so you can place them quite close together, but leave about a 1/2 inch between.

Bake 12 – 14 min. at 350° until they just barely start turning light brown. 

Cool completely on the pan. If you try to remove them while they are warm, they will fall apart.

Roll in powdered sugar or dip in a lemon glaze (lemon juice and powdered sugar).

These are also great drizzled in chocolate.  You can also make an orange version swapping out orange juice and zest for the lemon.

Flavored Lefse & Thanksgiving Snow

Well, the snow finally arrived like I knew it would, but we had a long, warm fall so a person could convince themselves that it might stay like that all winter. No such luck. But Thanksgiving is here and that's my favorite holiday -- all food and shopping. No gifts or cards to worry about, just food.

I've been making lefse every day for the past couple of weeks, so I haven't had much time to do anything else. This morning, Ann and Eric from the Grand Forks Herald came by to see me make my flavored lefse. It's a lot of fun to experiment with different combinations of spices and herbs. I started making non-traditional lefse two summers ago when I made lefse to sell at the farmers market. It was a huge hit, so I tried different combinations to see what people like.

It seems there are two kinds of lefse people: sweet and savory. If you're a sweet lefse person, you'll probably like the cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin, sweet potato kinds of flavors. But the savory group goes for roasted garlic, rosemary & cracked pepper, chives, curry powder and even pesto. Personally, I'm in the last group and just about the perfect combination for me is lefse wrapped around a piece of roast pork with a little pan drippings poured over the top.

So I thought I'd repost my basic lefse recipe then some flavor additions you might like to try.

Quinn’s Lefse
(Makes about 3-4 dozen)

Making lefse is not hard, but it does take practice to get it just right. Even experienced lefse makers have good and bad days, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t come out right every time. After making lefse a few times, you’ll have a better feel for what the dough should feel like when mixing, rolling and frying. You’ll soon learn which ones will turn out great and which ones you should have tossed in the trash before wasting all that time rolling it out. But it’s the ones that don’t turn out that you learn the most from. Did you work the dough too long? Did you add too much flour? Did you over cook it? The only way to answer those questions is by making mistakes.

Many lefse makers work in pairs where one rolls and one frys. Then when the person rolling gets tired, you can switch jobs so you can rest your back, but keep the lefse coming.

• 8-9 lbs russet potatoes
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola or any light oil)
• All purpose flour – approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups (but you have to judge by feel) plus more for rolling

Boil potatoes until fork tender

Mash using a potato ricer or food mill (you can use a regular potato masher, but you may end up with some lumps in your lefse)

While still hot, add stick of butter, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 cup oil. Mix completely. Let cool to room temperature (or refrigerate overnight, but bring to room temperature before using).

Working in small batches, scoop out about 2 cups of potato mixture into a smaller bowl. Add about ½ cup flour to portioned off potatoes a little at a time until the dough holds together. Don't add too much flour or the lefse will become hard when cooked. Divide mixture into equal portions. A small ice cream scoop works great for this. Work each portion in your hands for a few seconds then shape into a ball. (It should hold together with a slight spring, but not be sticky or rubbery. – You’ve worked it too much if it does.)

Flour board and rolling pin cover generously. Using a flat plate, gently press potato ball between two sheets of plastic (a freezer bag that has been cut open works great for this) until it makes a disk (about 3-4” across). Peel plastic off one side of the potato disk and flip it onto your floured board using the plastic as a holder. Then peel the plastic away from the other side (remove it completely). Dust the potato disk with flour.  Using very light pressure (just let the weight of the pin do the work), roll from center to outside edge of disk working around the circle (like spokes of a wheel) until lefse becomes about 6-7” across and more or less round. If the disk becomes lopsided, gently pat the edges back to round. Continue rolling applying slightly more pressure as the lefse gets thinner. Keep it moving on the board without sticking. Add a little more flour to the board, if necessary. Until you get the hang of it, you may need to flip the lefse over one or two times during the rolling process to prevent sticking. Continue rolling until the lefse is approximately 12-14” across. (The thinner the better, but it takes practice to roll it thin without tearing.)

Flavored Lefse

Start with the basic recipe, then scoop out a smaller portion of dough so you can mix in the flavors.  And you might not want to spring this on the old Norwegians in your family all at once. I've gotten some dirty looks from the traditionalists who think this is just about the same as burning the Norwegian flag!

Here are some ideas I've tried:

• Roasted Garlic (roast your own or use garlic powder.)
• Pesto (the kind you put in pasta is great, just drain off the extra oil that's on top.)
• Parmesan cheese
• Chives
• Thyme
• Rosemary and cracked black pepper
• Sun dried tomatoes (chop very fine)
• Curry powder
• Chili powder
• Garam Masala (Indian spice mixture)
• Cinnamon and Nutmeg (if you use too much, the lefse will get dry and fall apart).
• Maple flavoring
• Cocoa
• Citrus (lemon or orange zest and/or oil)

Look through your spice rack and try some combinations. You might be surprised how good they are.

Good luck and let me know what flavors you like best.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fosston Farmers’ Market Cultivates Food Revolution

Note: This is an article I wrote for the newspaper about the Fosston Farmers' Market.

When you hear the word “revolution” you probably think about Paul Revere’s ride and fighting off the redcoats. But over the last few years, there’s been a revolution in the way people think about what’s on their plate. America’s food revolution is happening in response to the alarming statistics we see on the news every day. Heart disease, stroke, diabetes are the nation’s top killers and directly linked to what we choose to eat.

Starting May 1st, Fosston will have its own weekly farmers market where you can visit with your neighbors and buy fresh food that has been grown or produced in the area. As you might expect, the season will dictate what’s available at the market. But even in spring, you’ll be able to find freshly baked, organic bread, locally produced honey, jams and jellies and cool weather crops like asparagus, lettuce and rhubarb. You can also find bedding plants so you can grow your own fresh vegetables and herbs.

Across Minnesota, farmers’ markets and roadside stands are nothing new, but it’s still a bit surprising that in this area where agriculture predominates, there aren’t even more opportunities to buy fresh, locally grown food. It’s great to be able to go into the grocery store in February and buy perfectly ripe fresh fruit and vegetables from Mexico or Chile, but in this era when we’re trying to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels – especially foreign oil – it’s a good idea to think about how many gallons of fuel it takes to ship all that food from one end of the world to another.

You may have seen “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” on TV. It’s a reality show about the popular British chef’s journey to get the schools in one West Virginia town to switch to a healthier diet. Week after week, we see him facing institutionalized bad food habits and a general lack of openness to change. But slowly, one meal at a time, he’s able to get through to even his harshest critics as they discover it’s not the end of their world and even making small changes can have a big impact.

Now that spring is finally here, this is the perfect time think about how what you eat affects your health, your family and even the country. Start your own food revolution.

Fosston Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday at 8 a.m. starting May 1st through the end of September. Located on the lawn of the East Polk Heritage Center on Hwy 2 East, Fosston. For more information, visit www.FosstonFarmersMarket.org or call (218) 209-2091.

Lemon Meltaway Cookies

Every time I bring these cookies to the farmers market in Bemidji, they are the first ones to sell out. If you like lemon, you will definitely like these cookies. Made with fresh lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract, they are tart and sweet at the same time. And then they're covered in powdered sugar, so how can you go wrong?

Lemon Meltaway Cookies
1 lb. softened butter
1 Cup corn starch
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
1/2 Teaspoon salt
Zest of a lemon
1 Teaspoon vanilla
2 Teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon lemon extract
3 Cups all purpose flour

Cream together the butter and sugar.
Add corn starch, mix well.
Add salt, lemon zest, juice, extract and salt, mix well.
Add flour, one cup at a time, mix until combined.
Wrap dough and chill for at least 30 mins and up to 2 days.
Scoop into small balls using a small ice cream scoop or teaspoon.
Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet at 375 for 12-14 mins.
Cool completely on cookie sheet. (Cookies will crumble if you try to move them while warm.)
Roll in powdered sugar.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. (These cookies also freeze well.)


Here's my second attempt at making a Youtube video:



Visit me online at www.Kaffehus.com

Party of Five

You would think that with as many cookbooks as I own, I'd always be using them to cook, but it's not usually the case. I do use many of the baking books over and over again, but there's something about cracking open a new cookbook to discover all the new recipes that's very exciting. That new book smell and how the pages are pressed tightly together--never been touched by hands--that just adds to the pleasure of soaking in the beautiful pictures and lists of ingredients. I'll probably never make even a fraction of all those recipes, but I guess it's like watching the Food Network--you get the pleasure of it without all the cleanup.

One book that I found myself reading cover to cover is called "Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin."  Kenny Shopsin is the owner of Shopsin's -- formerly a NYC grocery store, now a food stall in the Chelsea Market. But to just know that, doesn't begin to describe what a character Kenny is and I don't think I can appropriately describe him with mere words either. I'll let you discover him on your own. In fact, if you want the entire Shopsin's experience, there's a documentary called "I Like Killing Flies" that will immerse you in a bit of Kenny's world. That's how I first heard of him, became fascinated and count myself as one of his many fans. Now if you know anything of Kenny, you'd know that he could care less that I or anyone else considers himself as one of his fans. In fact, he'd probably throw you out of his restaurant just for saying something so rediculous. And that's what I admire about him. He doesn't give a rip what you or anyone else thinks of him. He loves to feed people, but it's definitely on his terms, not yours.

There's a poem in the book written by one of Kenny's long-suffering customers which describes one of Kenny's many "policies." Shopsin's will not serve any party larger than four. No exceptions. Kenny explains that he only has four burners on his stove and it messes up his timing if he has to try to get more than four plates out at once. Makes sense.

Party of Five
You could put a chair at the end
or push the tables together
but don't bother
This banged-up little restaurant
where you would expect no rules at all
has a firm policy against seating
parties of five


And you know you are
a party of five


It doesn't matter if one of you
offers to leave or if
you say you could split into
a party of three and a party of two
or if the five of you come back tomorrow
in Richard Nixon masks and try to pretend
that you don't know each other
It won't work: you're a party of five


Even if you're a beloved regular
Even if the place is empty
Even if you bring logic to bear
Even if you're a tackle for the Chicago Bears
it won't work
You're a party of five
You will always be a party of five
a hundred blocks from here
a hundred years from now
you will still be a party of five
and you will never savor the soup
or compare the coffee or
hear the wisdom of the cook
and the wit of the waitress or 
get to hum the old-time tunes
among which you will find
no quintets

                                 -Robert Hershon