Friday, December 7, 2012

Oven Baked Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

Oven Baked Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

This weekend Brian and I are headed to my mother's for a traditional Chanukah dinner. And, in my mother's house, that means latkes and lots of them. I know some families make a brisket and maybe some veggies but my mother always wisely felt that these foods would just interfere with your ability to stuff as many potato pancakes into yourself as possible. And considering how perfectly she made them, I would have to agree. She is a purist who wouldn't dream of any kind of machine grating or shredding. A box grater and lots of arm strength is what's called for here! She fried them with generous amounts of canola oil and served them hot and crispy with apple sauce and sour cream on the side. I'm drooling in anticipation!

Oven Baked Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
But Chanukah is an 8 day affair and we'd have oil seeping out of our pores if we indulged every night.  Still, though...we crave that latke flavor...  Fortunately I've found a solution for those other 8 days (and any other day of the year, for that matter). I noticed a recipe for baked latkes on RecipeLand and the idea of making them in a large muffin tin appealed to me. Sometimes baked veggie pancakes are understandably dry but these were quite moist and full of that potato latke flavor. Of course, it's not quite my mother's latkes but it's still delicious. And if you're interested in the purist version, you can click here for my authentic Jewish mother's latkes. Enjoy!


Ingredients
(Adapted from RecipeLand)
2 Large baking potatoes, peeled
1 Small onion
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tablespoons scallions, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive or canola oil
1/2 Teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Oven Baked Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
Grate the onion and potatoes through the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl. Stir in the egg, cheese, scallions, oil, salt, pepper and flour. When fully mixed, pour the mixture into a colander set over a second bowl and press down on the mixture with the back of a large spoon. Press out as much of the liquid as you can.

Oven Baked Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
Spray a large, 6 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and divide the potato mixture evenly into each cup. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes until the edges are golden brown but not burned. Remove from the oven and let rest in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before removing. Serve warm with sour cream, if desired. Makes 2 servings.

18 comments:

  1. I want latkes.
    I'm so jealous.
    And I love that you made baked ones.

    Happy almost Chanukah! Eat lots of your mom's latkes!

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  2. Look at you getting creative and avoid the fry house smell. :-)

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  3. I love this! I'm not a very good fry-er, generally things come out uneven. I have one of those large muffin tins and I can't wait to make them! Sour cream on top sounds wonderful - I usually put horseradish sauce on them especially when we have steak with it. Happy Chanukah to you and yours!! Forgive my ignorance but is this the holiday where you get the really tasty chocolate coins??? Love those! I'm going to pin this right away!

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  4. this is such a great idea! I never thought of baking latkes before, definitely need to give it a go one of the nights!

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  5. These sound delicious, Anita!! I would love for you to link this post to my Tasty Thursdays linky party going on right now. Thanks, Nichi http://mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/2012/12/tasty-thursdays-20.html

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  6. Im a horrible latke maker. They always look terrible. I love the idea of baking them in the oven in a muffin tin! That's brilliant.

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  7. I've never had latkes before so I really need to try the original and yours - They are gorgeous :-)

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  8. Sour cream on top? What about some applesauce love?

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  9. These look delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe on Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party. Please remember to link your recipe back to http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com. Thanks, and Happy Chanukah!

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  10. I like the idea of having the option of baking them. Sounds delicious Anita and I like mine with applesauce or sour cream.

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  11. I love latkes!!! I like the idea of baking the latkes. Kepps them crispy and healthy!

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  12. What a cool idea! I never knew you could bake latkes. I love them just all the time (growing up with diners everywhere, potato pancakes are one of my favorite foods on earth) and baking them would help me with that whole "oil seeping out of yourself" issue. ;)

    Yum!!

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  13. I saw this post last night and never had seen baked latkes. I made them tonight and they are great! no greasy taste and I will definitely be making them again. Maybe with some shredded beet and carrots, maybe a mix of white and sweet potatoes, so many ideas. Thank you for the recipe ad technique

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  14. Brilliant! I love potato pancakes but it drives me crazy to stand there and cook them all. I am so trying this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing on Thursdays Treasures.

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  15. This is vvery good reciep I would liketo make it at home soon. Thank you sharing.
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  16. DO YOU REALLY mean to drain the potato, egg and cheese? Or do you just drain the grated potatoes?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jean - Yes, I do mean to drain it after everything is mixed. The cheese will remain coated on the potatoes and only the excess liquid will come out. I hope you enjoy them.

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