A delicious latke recipe

...in case your bored with the usual latkes, and looking for something to spice up your holiday.

Curried Sweet Potato Latkes


You'll need:

2 lbs. sweet potatoes or yams
1 apple
1/4 cup milk or milk substitute (i use almond milk)
1/3 cup matzoh meal or flour
3 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. curry
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. garlic
canola oil

How to do it:
1: Grate sweet potatoes and apple. Remove any excess moisture (can put in dish towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out moisture) but LEAVE THE STARCH from the potatoes! It's the white stuff left over when you drain it this is neccesary to help everything stick together.
2. Beat eggs and add one at a time, mixing well.
3. Add milk.
4. Add matzoh meal or flour and baking powder.
5. Add spices and mix well.
6. Heat oil until hot and put large spoonful for each latke. Cook until brown and flip. For those unfamiliar with the dish, it kind of looks like a pancake shaped hashbrown.

Makes about 18 - 20 latkes/"pancakes".

Plum Cupcakes

I saw the recipe for Plum and Cardamom Cupcakes over on No Turnip, and decided with it being plum season and all - what better way to celebrate my dear Melissa's birthday! So Plum and Cardamom Cupcakes it was. And then I realized that, surprise surprise, I had used up all the cardamom - so i substituted pumpkin pie spice to give it that little kick. That was like, a week and a half ago, and i've made more cupcakes since then. What I did the first time was simple: Pureed 8 small plums (half red, half black), made 1 box yellow cake mix as directed, substituting the puree for the water, and added 2 heaping tsp. pumpkin pie spice. mix. pour into cupcake cups. bake as directed. Blammo! Near perfection.

The batter had a really delicate pink tinge to it, and had I not used up every single drop of red food coloring when I made red velvet cake back in June, I would have kicked it up with a few drops for color. The frosting was basic cream cheese frosting. I was going to perk it up with some spices but i was lazy and you know what? Not everything needs to be perfect and if you are a frosting person, cream cheese frosting is JUST FINE. If you are not a frosting person, that is okay because you are like me. I don't like frosting to interfere with my cake.

final verdict? very moist and sweet without being overly sweet. The plums give it a great taste and the pie spice compliments it well. They aren't going to knock your socks off with a strong flavour, but they taste delish. I had to cook them a bit longer than i would have normally, although it may be my oven, which is still new. I really liked the recipe and i might use a little less liquid next time (i did add a bit of water) but overall it's a keeper.