Everyone knows Hanukkah means Potato Latkes fried in oil. Horror stories about bleeding knuckles scraped up from grating potatoes are aplenty. Except in my childhood house.

My mother always made these delicious fried pancakes in the blender; instead a thick puree fried to the same golden brown donned our Hanukkah table.

Aside from being oh so much easier…and safer, I always wondered why. Why do our latkes look different? I finally got the courage to ask why. The answer was so simplistic, it almost seemed silly.   “Well,” said my mother, ” when I got married, I got a blender and that recipe came in the enclosed cookbook.” And that is how traditions are made.

This is truly the easiest latke recipe you will ever find.   I hope you make them for your family.

Happy Hanukkah!

MOM’S FAMOUS POTATO LATKES

2 eggs

1 small onion, quartered

1 small onion

2 tbl. flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

3 cups peeled and cubed RAW potatoes (I use Russet potatoes)

Vegetable or Corn Oil to fry

Sour cream (optional)

Applesauce (optional)

1. Put the eggs, onion, salt, flour and baking powder in blender with 1/2 of the potatoes. Process on high until potatoes have gone through the blades.

2. Add the rest of the potatoes and puree on high until the mixture is a thick puree.

3. Heat up oil in a non-stick pan.

4. Add small ladles of puree in the hot oil until crisp around the edges.   Flip and fry the other side.

5. Drain hot latkes on paper towels.

6. Serve latkes hot with sour cream and applesauce.