This is my family's Norwegian tradition passed down through generations.

–Kaysie Ellingson, Producer, PBS

*One batch makes approximately 15 pieces.

Instructions:

The night before:

1. Mix salt, sweet cream, shortening, sugar and potatoes thoroughly while still warm. Refrigerate.

The next day:

2. Prepare a cloth-covered board (we use a cutting board with a dishtowel pulled taught and thumb-tacked to the back). Also, a cloth-covered rolling pin. A grooved one is excellent.

3. To roll, flatten slightly with hands. Place about a ½ cup or more of flour on board—coating the rolling pin well. Roll out with light quick strokes, radiating out from center. Do not flip over once you start rolling. Roll thin.

4. Lift carefully onto preheated grill (450° F or more).

5. The person frying needs to quickly dust of excess flour with a feather duster and blow on the lefse—a good lung exercise! Expect a lot of flour around your kitchen when making lefse.

6. Turn over when it starts to bubble and brown—maybe 30 to 60 seconds. Use an empty fry pan—placing a couple of paper towels in it to absorb moisture. Top with a mesh splatter screen or cooling rack to place hot lefse on.

7. Flip over after a minute or two to help the cooling process before transferring it to the finished ones under a dishtowel. Keep covered.

8. When thoroughly cooled, one can cut them into halves or quarters and even trim the edges, if desired. Kitchen shears work well for this.

9. Keep refrigerated. Can also be frozen.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups riced potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sweet cream (whipping)

5 tablespoons shortening (Crisco)

2 teaspoons sugar (or more, if desired)

Gold Medal yellow label—better for bread flour and found it handles easier (1 cup flour to be added just prior to rolling and frying)

Tips we have learned over the years:

• Mix only one complete recipe at a time—just prior to rolling and frying—because the addition of flour to the potato mixture tends to make the dough "soften" in time.

• After boiling or steaming the potatoes, drain thoroughly. Remove cover and set kettle back on warm burner to "dry" potatoes.

• Before mixing potatoes and flour (which are formed into balls the size of a tennis ball or smaller), set up for rolling and frying. Since two people can make the job much easier, choose a good friend and/or friendly spouse to help. It can be fun!