From milking cows on the farm to baking at restaurants, grocery stores, a donut shop and even Minot State University, Carol Crabbe’s Norwegian work ethic hasn’t been tempered with age. Later this month, her kitchen turns into a lefse factory, before her holiday candy-making season kicks in. Read more about Carol here.
Carol shares her famous lefse recipe, which she used to make every day from Nov. 1 through December for many years and sell at grocery stores in Bottineau and Minot.
She also shares her tried-and-true pie crust recipe, along with the pecan pie recipe she got while living in Oklahoma in the 1960s when her husband served in the U.S. Army.
12 cups warm, riced and packed potatoes (about 8-10 lbs.)
1 cup butter
1 cup lard
4 T. sugar
4 tsp. salt
6 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Peel and boil 8-10 lbs. red potatoes. When done, squeeze through a potato ricer. Measure 12 cups of riced potatoes packed into measuring cup. Mix in butter, lard, sugar and salt while potatoes are still warm. Let cool for several hours or overnight.
Once cooled, add flour and baking powder to potato mixture. The lefse dough will feel dry at first, but after blending together and kneading, it will become similar to a pie crust dough.
Form about 40-45 dough balls. Then, pat down and roll out into 12- to 14-inch discs with corrugated (grooved) rolling pin. Cook on 325- to 350-degree lefse griddle. Turn when light brown spots appear. Fold in half circles, stack and steam inside newspaper wrapped with kitchen towels.
When all made, cool on the counter. Package lefse by folding into wedges, wrapping in plastic wrap and placing in zipper-lock bags. Freezes well.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED: To make Carol’s lefse, you will need an electric griddle, a heavy corrugated (grooved) rolling pin, a flattened turning stick and newspaper, in which the lefse steams. Carol also recommends a baking mat for rolling.Recipe by Carol Crabbe, formerly North Central Electric CooperativeRecipe by Carol Crabbe, formerly North Central Electric Cooperative
Recipe by Carol Crabbe, formerly North Central Electric Cooperative
1/3 cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup light syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, beaten
1½ cups pecans, chopped
Beat together butter and brown sugar. Blend in light syrup and vanilla. Add beaten eggs. Stir in pecans. Put in an unbaked pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes.
PIE CRUST
2¾ cups flour
1½ cups Crisco
½ T. sugar
½ tsp. salt
1¼ cups ice water
In a mixer, combine flour and Crisco. Add sugar and salt. Add ice water last and mix. Dough will be mushy. Sprinkle flour generously on plastic wrap, put dough in wrap and place in fridge to “cure” overnight. When ready to use, add flour for easy rolling. Makes 4 crusts. Keeps well in the fridge or freezer.
CAROL’S NOTE: Use icy ice water!
Recipe by Carol Crabbe, formerly North Central Electric Cooperative
