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Recipe: Mini ricotta latkes with sour cherry sauce

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Total time: 35 minutes

Servings: 6 (12 to 14 latkes)

Note: Adapted from “The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking” by Phyllis Glazer with Miriyam Glazer. The fastest latke ever, these are light and delicious for dessert, as a snack or as part of a “latke party.” These latkes come out flat; add the baking powder if you want a slightly fluffier pancake. Sweet cherries in syrup may also be used, but sour cherries add a slight tartness that complements the other flavors.

Sour cherry sauce

1 cup drained canned or bottled sour cherries in syrup

1 cup syrup from can or bottle of sour cherries

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon cherry liqueur

1. In a small saucepan, mix cherries and syrup and heat over medium-low heat. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Add the slurry to the saucepan and stir to combine. Continue to heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens slightly to a sauce-like consistency, 10 to 12 minutes.

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2. Stir in the cherry liqueur, remove from heat, then cover and keep warm while preparing the latkes. (May be prepared in advance and reheated.)

Latkes and assembly

1 pound whole or part-skim milk ricotta cheese

4 eggs

6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour (half whole wheat pastry flour if desired)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (optional)

1 tablespoon walnut oil

2 tablespoons sugar or turbinado sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Oil for frying

Sour cherry sauce

1. In a blender or food processor, combine the cheese, eggs, flour, optional baking powder, oil, sugar and vanilla. Process until smooth.

2. Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan and drop two tablespoons of the mixture each time to form a mini latke. Cook briefly on one side till lightly browned on the bottom, then flip and cook the other side for less than a minute. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat until all of the latkes are cooked, adding additional oil as necessary for frying.

3. Serve the latkes warm with the sauce.

Each of 6 servings: 444 calories; 14 grams protein; 32 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 30 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 180 mg. cholesterol; 117 mg. sodium.

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