Milk Lefse Food

LEFSE II

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix by hand sour milk or buttermilk, corn syrup, sugar, soda, cardamom, and flour until mixture becomes a soft pliable dough.
• Divide the dough into 12 or so pieces. Roll out each piece until about 1/8 inch thick.
• Bake on a lightly floured griddle over very low heat for 12 to 15 minutes per side. Serve warm with your favorite cheese or jam.

BASIC LEFSE: NORWEGIAN POTATO FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 175 F. Peel the potatoes, making sure that no peels or eyes remain. Coarsely chop them into 1-inch pieces.
• In a stockpot, bring water to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil them until they are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drain the boiled potatoes well. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bring them into the hot oven for 15 minutes to dry them further.
• Remove the potatoes from the oven and pass them through a ricer . You need them to be finely riced, so twice through the ricer might give you a better texture. You should have at least 4 cups of riced potatoes.
• Mix in the heavy cream, butter, sugar, and salt.
• Mix well and place the potato dough in the refrigerator, covered, to chill overnight.
• Preheat a lefse griddle or your skillet of choice to 425 F. You need a very hot surface to properly cook the lefse. Use a pastry blender to cut the flour into the chilled potatoes, or vigorously knead the flour in until you have a smooth dough.
• With the help of an ice cream scoop, divide the dough into 16 to 20 biscuit-sized balls.
• Generously flour a pastry cloth or board and a rolling pin. Roll out each piece of dough into a 12-inch circle, dusting with more flour as needed.
• Carefully lift the circle with a lefse stick or the handle of a flat wooden spatula. Transfer it quickly to the griddle.
• Cook the lefse on the griddle until brown spots begin to appear.
• Flip and cook the other side.
• Remove the cooked lefse to a plate lined with a damp clean cloth to cool. Cover with another damp cloth. Continue to cook the remaining dough balls until you've used all of the dough.
• Serve the lefse smeared with butter to taste and a sprinkle or two of sugar.
• Enjoy.

MILK LEFSE

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt.
• Put milk and lard in pan heat to scalding point.
• When it begins to bubble pour all milk over the flour mixture.
• Keep stirring until all flour has been mixed into the milk.
• Let cool.
• Pinch off walnut size portions and roll THIN. About the size of a dinner plate.
• Bake on lefse iron or large griddle.
• Watch carefully, so not to burn them, it only takes a minute for this step.
• When you see the lefse start to bubble and turn a light brown, flip and bake the other side.
• Lay it on top of waxed paper and keep stacking them up. Keep a piece if waxed paper on top to keep them from drying out.
• Store in airtight container or freeze.
• Butter and sprinkles lightly with sugar, roll up and eat.
• If needed when you're ready to eat place lefse between damp dishtowels to soften, about 15 minutes.

INSTANT POTATO LEFSE-NO MILK/CREAM

Steps:

• Make the 6-7 serving size when making the potatoes. (*you may omit the margarine and salt called for on the box since it is added later).
• Mix in Crisco, sugar, and salt while potatoes are hot so Crisco will melt.
• Cool very well! I usually cool overnight in the fridge and place some saran wrap directly on potatoes to avoid a 'skin'.
• Pull from fridge and bring to room temperature. Mix in 2 cups of flour.
• Let dough rest 10 minutes.
• Roll and fry on lefse griddle. -I was taught to wear gloves so no excess moisture from hands went into the lefse and altered the texture.
• Spread butter, sprinkle with sugar, roll and enjoy! (I was told by a friend in Norway they spread with Jelly too!).

NORWEGIAN LEFSE

Steps:

• Cover potatoes with water and cook until tender. Run hot potatoes through a potato ricer. Place into a large bowl. Beat butter, cream, salt, and sugar into the hot riced potatoes. Let cool to room temperature.
• Stir flour into the potato mixture. Pull off pieces of the dough and form into walnut size balls. Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out lefse balls to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cook on a hot (400 degree F/200 C) griddle until bubbles form and each side has browned. Place on a damp towel to cool slightly and then cover with damp towel until ready to serve.