Lefse making, a Norwegian holiday tradition

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

A group of ladies have gotten together for 25 years to make Norwegian potato flatbread or lefse during the holidays.  

These ladies are part of Triumphant Love Lutheran Church on Great Hills Trail and they all moved to Austin years ago from Minnesota and the Dakotas.

L-R: Joyce Beck, Jean Smith, Sandy Largon, Sandy Kingslien and Jan Freeman make lefse during the holidays.

L-R: Joyce Beck, Jean Smith, Sandy Largon, Sandy Kingslien and Jan Freeman make lefse during the holidays.

The recipe calls for potatoes, boiled and then riced, flour, shortening, heavy cream, salt and a pinch of sugar. The dough is mixed, chilled, then rolled into balls. Then it is rolled out with a rolling pin, which has a stocking that holds flour, and put on a lefse griddle and turned with a special stick.2013-11-22 18.48.22

 

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2013-11-22 18.37.28Once made, lefse is enjoyed in many ways including with butter and brown sugar or lingonberry jam.

The Triumphant group made 27 pounds of potatoes this year.

“We are carrying on the tradition,” said Joyce Beck.

Jean Smith hosted the lefse making event at her home in Grandview Hills this year. Smith made sure granddaughters Jadyn and Addison Smith got in on the lefse tradition too.

Jean Smith hosted the lefse making event at her home in Grandview Hills this year. Smith made sure granddaughters Jadyn and Addison Smith got in on the lefse tradition too.

 

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