Baked Sweet and Russet Potato Latkes with Homemade Applesauce

baked latkes topped with scallions and a side of homemade applesauce

‘Tis the season - get ready to eat some mouth-watering latkes with homemade applesauce! Latkes (Yiddish for pancakes) are a traditional Chanukah food, in large part because of their oiliness. Oil plays an important role in the Chanukah story. The pure oil, enough to burn for one day in the holy temple, miraculously lasted for eight days. Therefore, there is a custom to eat foods on Chanukah that are fried in oil, as a remembrance of the miracle.

Latkes that are deep-fried are a perfect and decadent way to celebrate. BUT, we can still enjoy latkes baked with oil on the baking sheet to keep to the tradition. I’m excited about this recipe for a few reasons: less oil, less splatters of oil on my kitchen walls, and lighter on the body (although I’m still going to make fried latkes at least one night during the holiday). Food connects us to our history, tradition, and brings us home - the grating of the potatoes, the frying of the onions, the aromas and tastes transport us to the past. As I always say, the way to the heart is through food. When I make latkes I think of my mother (her latkes were the perfect crisp and flavor), it brings me back in time. My family loves my latkes so much, they are almost gone before they even hit the table. Makes me so happy! LIGHTS me up!

The latke tradition is connected to oil, but the other ingredients are the cook’s choice. Some latke varieties include vegetable, cheese, and herb. Potatoes, however, are the classic main ingredient - they were an inexpensive staple in pre-war Eastern Europe.

My choice of latke this year is baked using sweet potatoes. Sometimes I add half potatoes and half sweet potatoes, and my family loves the taste. Sweet potatoes add a sweetness to the latke and a gorgeous orange color. The baked latkes come out of the oven crispy, too. No need to fry for all eight nights of Chanukah.

sweet potato and russet potato latkes mise en place

Recipe - makes 24 latkes
3 tsp oil: grapeseed or sunflower
2 lbs russet potatoes or combine 1 lb russet and 1 lb sweet potato - 5 small in total peeled
3/4 cup red or yellow onion
1/4 cup all purpose white flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
option: sprinkle finely chopped scallions on top of baked latkes when serving

sliced sweet potato to fit into food processor

sliced white potatoes

shredded potatoes and onion

place the potatoes and onion in a clean towel and close towel tightly and squeeeze out liquid into bowl. - the dryer the batter the crispier the latkes

squeeeze the liquid out of batter

baking latkes on an oiled baking sheet at 450 degrees for 10 minutes on one side and flip for another 5 minutes on the other side

Instructions

• set oven racks in middle and lower levels in the oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

• prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brushing with 1 tsp oil on each sheet - brush a little bit of oil on the spots where you are going to be laying your latkes

• grate potatoes and onions using hand grater or shredder blade in food processor - Cuisinart is the way to go - read Genia’s Tips on squeezing moisture out of potatoes to create crispy latkes

• place in a large bowl and add flour, salt, and pepper and toss to mix well

• add beaten egg, egg white and 1 tsp oil and mix

• drop ¼ cup latke batter on cookie sheets and press lightly to form a latke shape

• bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on bottom

• flip latkes and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown

• transfer to a platter and serve with my homemade applesauce - recipe below

• you can make ahead and store overnight in fridge and reheat at 350 degrees for 10 minutes

• serve with scallions sprinkled on top of baked latkes and homemade applesauce

 Genia’s Homemade Applesauce
6 Macintosh apples
1 inch sliced lemon rind
1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

• peel apples and finely chop

• place in pot with 1 inch of water

• add lemon rind and cinnamon stick

• bring to boil and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes

• stir

• puree or enjoy as is

Genia’s Spoon Me Tips

When using white potatoes: chill the shredded potatoes in ice water - it keeps the potatoes from oxidizing so that they stay white. Keep the potatoes in ice water until you’re ready to fry or bake them, then squeeze out the liquid (the less moisture, the more your latkes will be crisp), and mix up your latke batter.

Russet and Idaho potatoes are ideal for latkes because of their high starch content. They also have a high amount of liquid, so after grating and icing the potatoes, place in a clean kitchen towel or cheese cloth and squeeeeeeeze out as much of that liquid as you can.

If you’re only using sweet potatoes they don‘t need the ice water and squeezing out the liquid because they are much dryer.

I’m combining both sweet potatoes and russet potatoes in my processor.

To measure latke batter - use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup mixture per latke. Keep them small so they get evenly crispy.

Oils: use a neutral oil such as grapeseed or sunflower which has a higher smoke point. I don’t use coconut oil because of its flavor even though it does have a high smoke point. However, this is the cook’s choice.

If you are frying your latkes, feel free to try this carrot trick - thanks Chef Adeena Sussman (author of Sababa cookbook) for sharing this unique and strange, yet successful latke cooking method. Add a whole trimmed carrot to the frying oil along with the latkes. The carrot helps regulate the oil temperature, but it also serves as a magnet, collecting tiny particles and keeping the oil more pristine and less prone to burning. You can use the same carrot for multiple batches, but once it’s shriveled and a bit caramelized, it’s time to prepare a new carrot.

Much love, peace, and light
Happy Chanukah,
Genia