Apple-Potato Latkes with Cinnamon Sour Cream

These latkes are golden, crunchy, salty-sweet and very satisfying, with applesauce and without. The secret here is squeezing the liquid out of the grated apple and potato mixture before frying; otherwise the latkes end up on the soft side rather than truly crisp. This is because apples are juicier than potatoes, so a firm squeeze in a clean dish towel brings down the moisture content considerably. The cinnamon sour cream provides a spicy, sweet-tart freshness. Potatoes and apples are a wonderful source of vitamin C and antioxidants, as are yellow onions.

Makes: About 1½ dozen latkes
Time to cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

· 6 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt

· ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

· ½ teaspoon maple syrup

· 2 apples, peeled and cored

· 1 large potato, preferably russet, peeled

· 1 medium yellow onion, peeled

· ½ cup all-purpose flour

· 3 large eggs

· 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

· 1¼ teaspoons baking powder

· ½ teaspoon black pepper

· Olive or grapeseed oil, for frying.

Cooking Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream or yogurt, cinnamon and syrup. Cover and chill until ready to use.

2. Coarsely grate the apples, potato and onion. Put the mixture in a clean dish towel and squeeze to wring out as much liquid as possible. For the crispiest pancakes, you want the least moisture.

3. Working quickly, put the mixture in a large bowl, add the flour, eggs, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.

4. In a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about ¼ inch of oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the pan, cooking 3 to 4 latkes at a time. Use a spatula to flatten the scoops into disks. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, 3-4 minutes, flip them. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, another 3-4 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with dollops of the cinnamon sour cream on top.

Nutrition per serving ‍

152 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugar; 2 grams protein; 169 milligrams sodium

Recipe from Melissa Clark (NY Times Cooking)