there is a light dusting of snow dancing across the steel sky this morning and the chill in the air finally bites through our woolen layers - the Holly King's strength is waxing.  we've been enjoying soulful, warm meals these last few days with friends and family - a blessed weekend.  and lots of latkes.  this recipe came from sheer laziness on my part last year.  we had left over mash potatoes and den and i could not muster the energy to shred the potatoes needed for my original latke recipe.  so i added a few additional ingredients to my mash - and we fried them as pancakes in a touch of olive oil.  the recipe that follows can be broken into two parts - you can make the mash for dinner one night, and use the leftovers to create latkes the next...

goat cheese & roasted garlic latkes

~ about 3-4 lbs of red potatoes {cubed - skinned or not - your preference}

~ 1 stick of butter

~ 8 oz. block of cream cheese

~ 6 oz. of goat cheese

~ 4 cloves of roasted garlic {to do this, lay the cloves on a small sheet of tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil; wrap the tinfoil around the garlic with a bit of room for the garlic to breathe - roast in the oven at 375F until soft.  once it's cooled the garlic will slip effortlessly from its skin and you can mash the garlic with a fork}

~ up to 1/2 c. heavy cream

~ salt and pepper

add to make latkes:

~ 1/3 c. flour

~ 5 eggs

~ additional salt and pepper

{i use a standing mixer to combine the ingredients - you can also do this with a hand held mixer or by hand}

to make the mashed potatoes, add the cubed potatoes to a large pan of boiling water and cook until soft.  drain the potatoes and add to the mixing bowl.  add the butter and mix at a slow speed - once the butter is incorporated, add the cream cheese and goat cheese and garlic.  you may have to stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly distributed - add heavy cream slowly until the mash takes on the consistency you prefer - add salt and pepper to taste.  serve immediatly.

if you are creating the latkes, the mash can be prepared up to a day ahead - simply refrigerate until you are ready to use them.  if you are pulling then from the refrigerator, heat them up just a bit in the microwave to soften them, but avoid heating them through.  if you are making the latkes immedieatly from the mash - cool slightly so they do not cook the eggs when you add them.

add the mash back to the mixing bowl {5-6 cups worth} and add 5 whipped eggs and 1/3c. flour - beat until thoroughly incorporated.  we cook ours on a flat top cast iron skillet - but any heavy pan will work.  add a bit of olive oil to the cooking surface and once hot, use an ice cream scoop or soup spoon to create even sized pancakes.  cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown.

we love ours with apple butter and even the next morning under a pile fried eggs - or simply with a spread of jam as pictured above...

p.s. i will be sharing my rugelach recipe this week - be sure to check back!

 

Comments

[emily]

these look incredible! i was going to make my old-standbys again tomorrow night, but now i'm re-thinking that plan...

[rachel]

you had to mention rugelach, didn't you? man oh man....I'll be checking back! These look amazing Jen.

[jillian m. {coffee, light and sweet}]

i'd love to try this recipe, as i've actually never had latkes before. there's nothing better than a hot meal on a day like today!

[jla]

thank you ladies - hope they turned out for you emily!