Lefse making: An annual friendship event
I am submitting the following lefse story. As you can see, we have a great time together making lefse!
Every year since 1989 four culturally diverse friends (one Irish, one German, two Scandinavians) have been getting together at a Minnesota resort to make lefse. We tote our lefse grill, supplies and potatoes and spend a couple of days making lefse, relaxing, laughing a lot and eating a lot. This year our German friend wanted to learn how to make Krumkake so we added that to our agenda.
Only the Scandinavians are allowed to mix, roll and bake. The “others” are relegated to ball-rolling, folding, and bagging. We have kept a diary of our good times together. Here is just one example:
H rolled, C wielded the stick, and S & K rolled perfect balls and performed other schlepping duties as directed. Multi-tasking is NOT an option for C & H…unlike S & K who seem to do any and all tasks assigned to them. One of the “other duties as assigned” performed by S & K was to act as the esteemed panel of judges rating every little lefse as it left the grill. When asked if the lefse were perfect, the esteemed panel replied, “Oh Ya!”. Anything that was less than perfect was given to S to consume. One lefse ball fell to the floor – S was directed to eat the discounted floor model. There was a mention made of the lefse grill being multi-purpose…things other than lefse could be grilled. K asked if that wouldn’t desecrate said grill – H commented it would since it is, indeed, the “holy grill.”
We have similar entries for each and every year. As you can see, we have turned our lefse making into an annual friendship event. We can’t wait for next year’s event!!
Lefse that my Dad would be proud of.
Submitted by Joyce Linthicum, MD
Good Morning,
I have to tell you about my experience with your company. When I ordered I made an error, you took care of it right away, thank you so much. The rolling pin should be back to you already if not then in the next day or 2.
I had never made lefse before. I grew up in Seattle, In 1981 I marred I guy in the Coast Guard, and eventually I moved from Seattle in 1985. My Dad’s Mother was the one who made Lefse, frankly I never really cared how she made it just that she made it. My Dad loved it and his mother would always make it at the holiday. As my Grandmother aged, she cooked less and less. She would still make lefse at the holiday, but not as much as she use to.
So about 15 years ago, my Dad decided that he would learn to make it. So he bought the griddle, and from what my mother told me it was a mess. Flour every where and not a very good result. Eventually someone gave him a recipe using Instant Potatoes, and that was better. So that is what they used. Now my Mother really doesn’t like Lefse, but she would help.
In 1999 my Father passed away. So when I was in Seattle, I took the Griddle, that was really all the Lefse making items that they had. Oh they had a really nice painted lefse turner, but my mother kept that…I knew that my Mother would NEVER make it so there was no point in her keeping it.
With all my good intentions I brought the Griddle home. My husband said “what is that?” I said “a lefse Griddle” he said “do you make Lefse?” enough said right…
Well that was 10 years ago. So I decided that this was my year to give it a try. I found your site read all about lefse making. Ordered all the items that I thought that I would need. Also copied the recipe and directions. Of course during this time my mother was sending me all the directions and the “Instant potato” recipe that she thought that I would need. This from 3,000 miles away. I politely told her that if I was going to do this I was going to do it the “real” way. They made it their way let me do it my way. She went on to tell me that it was hard, they would be tough…..
I want to tell you, with your recipe, and the directions. I made PERFECT Lefse the first time. It was light, not tough and more than that I found it pretty easy to make.
Sorry to bore you with the long family story, but I wanted to share with you how wonderful it was for me to be able to do this on my own. Your site made it easy for me to do it right. Although my Dad and Grandmother are both gone now, I think that they would be proud.
Joyce
Lefse Christmas
Submitted by (Grandma) Jeanne Wirsbinski and (Daughter) Julie Akason and our families
My mother’s family, of Norwegian descent, has passed down the tradition of baking lefse. My grandmother, mother, uncles and now my sister are the experts upon whom we have depended on for our supply of the good stuff.
This year, my daughter’s 16-year-old twin sons (we call them our “Minnesota Twins”) had an unusual request for a teenager’s Christmas gift: lefse-making equipment. They wanted to learn how to make that delicious treat, too.
Well, Julie ordered your lefse kit, and we started our own tradition of baking lefse in my kitchen for our Christmas dinner. Her boys and their cousins donned aprons (I made a colorful chef’s apron for each), and everyone took turns rolling and baking. Even my Polish husband (a/k/a Grandpa Joe) made tender, tasty lefse. It was wonderful! We made two batches, enough for our Christmas dinner and a few leftovers for each family to take home.
We look forward to our next lefse gathering and our new tradition of “Lefse Christmas.” Your quality supplies were a big part of our success, along with a good share of beginner’s luck.
Since I love taking pictures, I documented the day and am attaching some to share with you and your staff. (photos coming soon)
Aunt Sophie’s Mocha Bars
Submitted by Anne Malm-Hossfeld Minnetonka, MN
Hi, Gwen. Thanks for the answer. I do have a family recipe for them, and it’s the history I’ve been trying to track down, because I thought my family invented them (!), but then I heard they’re a genuine Norwegian thing. If you’ve had them, that’s great, because it means others out there are making them too. You might be interested in my story.
I grew up with a recipe for “Aunt Sophie’s” peanut bars. Sopie Quam Shirley was my Norwegian grandmother’s sister and lived in Minot, ND, where she helped out in her husband’s family’s grocery store – Shirley’s Grocery (AKA Sjolie). The recipe I have was written in a cookbook my grandmother wrote for me in which she wrote down some of her own recipes. The recipe is for a sponge cake and a very rich butter frosting. You cut the sheet cake in long pieces or squares, frost all sides, and roll them in chopped, salted Spanish peanuts.
I was at a Duluth antique store last year and was talking to a man who grew up in Minot. I mentioned the Shirley’s grocery store, and he remembered it. I mentioned Sophie who made “her own recipe” for “something called” peanut bars, and at least 3 other people at the counter said, Oh, yes, peanut bars, mocha bars, they’re Norwegian! I’d never heard this. The man from Minot said his son had married a Norwegian woman, and at the wedding in Norway, they served them on the dessert tray, although they were covered in ground almonds, which I guess is more traditional. Another said there was a woman in Two Harbors who used to make them and sell them. So ever since I’ve been trying to track down more information on them.
Then at another antique store, I found a tiny pamphlet from 1955 called “Scandinavian Goodies” with a recipe for Mocha Cake — bake a “one-egg” cake, cut in squares, frost with powdered sugar icing, and roll in ground almonds browned in butter. So they’re real! I don’t know the origin of the name “Mocha” — it can’t be referring to the typical coffee/chocolate flavor.
Anyway, hope this passes on some Norwegian cooking lore to you. I love your website and will be back.
Takk et ha de godt.
Anne
