24 Days of Christmas Recipes - Day 2

Today I am introducing the second day of my (hopefully annual) '24 Days of Christmas Recipes'! I had my recipe all ready for today, but while watching then News this morning, I just had to include another! They were making several variations of Latkes, and you may not know but these are potato pancakes typically served during the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah. PS I LOVE LATKES! If you are ever in the Chicago area, I highly recommend the South-side Jewish Deli, Manny's. It's famous in the area and relatively throughout the country. Below is one of the recipes they highlighted; it's the traditional which is perfect for serving with apple sauce (For those of you who haven't tried this, I realize this might sound a bit odd... but TRUST ME, it's the PERFECT topping!).

I like really crispy latkes that are only slightly creamy inside. I don’t use yolks in my batter as egg yolks make doughs and batters tender. Egg whites hold the ingredients together but don’t make it soft or cakey.

Ingredients

2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and shredded (after shredding the potatoes, place them in a large bowl with ice water-they won’t oxidize and turn rust colored)
Neutrally flavored oil for frying (I prefer canola)
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and grated
3 egg whites, beaten with a whisk until frothy
3-6 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Place the shredded potatoes in a large clean towel and squeeze out all of the moisture; make sure the potatoes are completely dry.

Place all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and add the potatoes. Mix all of the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

Heat a large skillet with 1-½ inches of oil. Drop spoonfuls of latke batter into the oil.

Flatten it slightly with the back of a spoon. Brown the latkes on both sides. Remove to a platter lined with paper towels.

To re-heat: Place the latkes on a cookie sheet and heat in a 400 degree oven until hot.

Additionally, here is the homemade cranberry-apple sauce they paired it with:

Apple-Cranberry Ginger Sauce

This is a beautiful garnet-colored tart applesauce. It is a perfect complement for the crispy latkes. The addition of ginger adds a deep citrus spice flavor that balances the vegetables in the latke.

Ingredients

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1-cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 whole cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons chopped crystallized ginger
½ cup apple cider or juice
Pinch of kosher salt

1. Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook uncovered over medium heat until the cranberries pop. Continue cooking until the excess moisture evaporates. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir to combine. The applesauce may be stored and covered in the refrigerator for up to one week or frozen for up to 2 months.

All of these recipes and more can be found at Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/station/as-seen-on/The-Basic-Latke-Gets-A-Makeover-For-Hanukkah-111170219.html#ixzz16xX0lXfA


So as not to completely copy other people's recipes, below is my great-Aunt Joan's Cranberry Conserve.  This is a type of cranberry sauce that we have as a treat with our Thanksgiving/Christmas dinners (perfect with Turkey). Guilty confession: it ends up like an apple sauce, and my mom and I were know to sneak to eat it straight from the jar! Yes, IT'S THAT GOOD! Plus it's super easy. I'm planning on making some this weekend while I work on my Christmas cookies. I'll try to include pictures so you can get the general idea. Enjoy!

Cranberry Conserve

Ingredients
1 Medium peeled orange- finely chopped
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 quart stemmed cranberries
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine orange water and cook about 20 mins. Add cranberries, sugar, and raisins. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly about 8 mins. As mixture thickens stir frequently to prevent sticking.
Add nuts the last 5 mins of cooking.

Allow to cool on the stove, then ladle into 8 oz mason jars.Wipe screw area, and place on flat lid base. You can use a circle piece of cloth in a Christmas/Holiday pattern before tightening the lid completely. This makes a great gift during the holidays!

Happy Holidays!