Looking for a Potato Cake/Pancake Recipe....

[catnhatnh]

The recipe I'm looking for was basically mashed potatos, flour, baking powder, salt and eggs which were mixed into a dough, rolled out to about just under a half inch, then cut to size and oven baked...Anyone got something close?? I suspect they are either Irish ethnic or a depression specialty. Any help would be appreciated.

[livetohike]

1. My grandmothers (Slovak heritage) made this - they called it Old Country Pie

and filled the dough with cabbage sauteed in butter, folded it over like a calzone and baked it. My Mom gave me the recipe years ago but there were no quantities :-). You have the ingredients right though. My recipe says to "add enough flour to the mashed potatoes to form a dough".

I've made it and it has turned out great - but not as good as I remember from my Grandmothers' versions :-).

[catnhatnh]

2. Thank you.

I was on line searching right after my post and found the basic recipe. As always I forgot an ingredient-shortening! Also,though I recognized the recipe, it called for frying in oil which struck me as strange for a recipe calling for baking powder...long version short I baked that recipe and the outcome was within spitting distance of what I was looking for.

Anyhow,for anyone who would like to try this here we go:
2 Cups Mashed Potato
1 Beaten Egg
2 Tablespoon Butter
1 Cup Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Combine potato, egg, and butter. Mix well.

Mix flour, baking powder,and salt and add to potato mixture and knead lightly till fully incorporated.

Roll on lightly floured board to 3/8 inch thickness. Cut into squares or wedges.

At this point the recipe fries the dough. Instead I baked...Not quite correctly...15 minutes at 350 didnt quite get it so I upped the temp to 425 and let then ride another 10 minutes...not perfect but good

The proper deal is probably more like STARTING at 425 for 15-20 minutes total...

The finished product should look like a pita bread and have a distinct potato flavor. We ate them as a snack topped with melted butter or as a side dish for sopping up gravies or meat juices. The texture should be a bread or biscuit like crust over a softer center of almost pure potato.

I'm happy with them and you might like them too.

Oh yeah...I had to add extra flour...the dough was initially to sticky for kneading and rolling...it's a judgement thing, but any bread bakers here will have no problem.The rise from the baking powder is mild but definitely there.

[livetohike]

6. Thanks for the recipe!

:hi: Sounds delicious the way you made it. I'm getting hungry.

[sandnsea]

5. Oh yum

My husband would love that. I make a cabbage roll with a yeast bread, but this would be an interesting change and a lot easier too. And I always like any extra nutrition, which the potatoes do provide a little. He will be so surprised!

[livetohike]

7. My Mom said that my Grandmother used to make this for them

when she was little. They each got a wedge (it makes a large calzone) and it was a treat just like pizza :-).

[Mind_your_head]

3. My grandmother, mother, and I all make/made potato pancakes

We called them Pagachi (Slovak heritage also). Found this recipe online and it is almost exactly what we do. The exceptions being:

1) We don't measure - the amount of flour required is determined by the 'feel' as you're mixing the potato & flour
2) We always have sprinkled granulated cane sugar on one side after brushing both sides with the browned butter
3) My grandmother & mother both used the bottom of their ovens to cook the pagachi. I use my electric griddle instead, as you tend to get flour all over the bottom of the oven and it's easier to clean the griddle than the bottom of the oven.

Things that are a MUST to get these to turn out correctly:

1) the mashed potatoes must be COLD. The potatoes need to be in the refrigerator at least over night after you've made them.
2) You have to use RED POTATOES (this was one my mom told me after my first few unsuccessful attempts at making these myself). Using russet or idaho potatoes produces an edible result, but they just don't turn out nearly as well texture or taste wise as when you use Red Potatoes.

At the links provided below, there are different variations (like the cabbage filled pagachi, etc.). My mom and I have never done these, but my mom said my grandmother used to make several of these versions.

Hope this helps! :hi:

----------------

Slovak- Loska- langoshe- Pagach

3 c Potatoes,mashed,cool,salted
1/2 c Flour

Blend flour into mashed potatoes. Add more flour if needed, but not to
much. Dough should not be sticky or crumbly. Divide dough into four
portions and roll out each portiom on floured board to 1/8 inch
thickness in 8 inch circles. Pick surface with a fork to prevent
puffing. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees. Bake on bottom
surface of oven, (I use cookie sheets) for about 7 minutes on each
side. After the Loska is baked, brush each side with either plain or
browned butter. Stack on a plate and cut into wedges. Loska is good
with any meatless soup.

http://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m040502.htm#2 (Pagachi recipe starts about the middle of the page)

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SLOVAKIA/2001-10/1004554845

[The empressof all]

4. All you need to know about latkes is in this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x19967

Potato Cakes and potato pancakes are totally different things. Both are wonderful..

[The empressof all]

8. Another alternative is the Knish

http://www.jewishrecipes.org/recipes/knish/potato-knishes.html

These potato cakes are wonderful. An easy option is to mix cold buttery mashed potatoes with fried onions and wrap patties with phyllo dough. I usu sally do this after Thanksgiving or Christmas when I have both left over.