the soubrette brunette: recipe

Happy Chanukkah, friends! I'm quickly popping in to share my mom's amazing latke recipe with you (which actually comes from Rochester's Hadassah Cookbook). I may be biased, but I really do think her latkes are the best – and they really aren't all that difficult to make! I'm not a recipe blogger, so I stuck to the basics. Let me know if you make these or if you need clarification! (By the way, here's a link to my latke sweatshirt!)

Ingredients

6-8 red potatoes
1 medium white onion
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Vegetable oil (corn oil)
Extra sour cream and applesauce for serving

Directions

Peel and grate your potatoes, either by hand or in a blender/food processor. Transfer your grated potatoes into a large bowl. You can drain or wring out the excess water, but (and this is a VERY controversial opinion) you don't necessarily need to. Add the sour cream to keep the potatoes from turning brown. Then, add eggs and mix together. Add onion, flour, salt, and pepper and mix well. Pour a generous amount of vegetable oil into a large skillet (or two) on medium-high heat. When the oil is heated, add your potato mixture in cookie-sized portions and fry. They do not need to be neat! If they're freeform, they'll get those crispy edges. Flip once the latkes are golden brown on one side (you may need to flip them a second time to get them extra crispy!). When the latkes are done frying, remove them from the skillet and place them on a paper towel. Repeat this process until all the potato mixture has been used (makes around 30 latkes). Serve with sour cream, applesauce, sugar and cinnamon, or toppings of your choice and enjoy!

I'll be the first to admit it: I am not really all that domestic. I don't know how to cook many things (but I do make the yummiest eggs, FYI) and cleaning is always on my to-do list (but it doesn't actually get done until absolutely necessary). However, even I can master these absolutely scrumptious cookies; they are so incredibly simple, and they are downright addictive. They take no time at all, which makes them perfect for a last-minute holiday party treat -- that is, if you don't eat them all yourself first! This recipe is from the mother of my mom's oldest friend, and it's been one of my favorite recipes for as long as I can remember. The process is a bit similar to making fudge (except you don't even need a double boiler!), so if you love fudge, peanut butter or just have a sweet tooth... you'll love these.

What you will need:

2 c. sugar // 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder // 1/2 c. milk (we used fat free skim)
1/2 c. butter // 1/2 c. peanut butter (we used all-natural)
3 c. oats // 1 tsp. vanilla // wax paper

* I like to start by lining up a few cutting boards with sheets of wax paper on top (you could also use cookie sheets instead of cutting boards, if you're fancy).

* Once that's set, add 2 cups of sugar and 4 Tbsp. of cocoa to a medium-sized sauce pan (without the heat on) and stir. Make sure to get out all the lumps! Then, add 1/2 cup milk and stir.

* Add in 1/2 cup of butter (you could also use margarine) to the mixture. Turn on the heat to medium and bring to a slow boil. Once the slow boil begins, keep on the heat for 1 minute.

* After 1 minute, turn off heat and add in 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 3 cups of oats. Stir.

* Use a regular spoon (or soup spoon) and make medium-sized dollops on the sheets of wax paper. Let harden and enjoy!

That's it! So simple! And so addictive! I have already eaten way too many of these cookies, and it's not even Christmas yet! Let me know if you try the recipe (and if so, what you thought of them!), and let me know if you have any questions!

Oh, and this is what I wore while ~~baking~~ making our cookies. I couldn't resist. :)