Apple Latkes

 These apple latkes are both tart and sweet, and are perfect for breakfast and even dessert. 

These apple latkes are from the book, A Sweet Year: Jewish Celebrations and Festive Recipes for Kids and Their Families by Joan Nathan, the author of King Solomon's Table, a quintessential compendium of Jewish recipes from around the world, along with 11 other cookbooks. 

The book is an updated version of her book, originally published in 1995, The Children's Jewish Holiday Cookbook. The book chronicles Jewish holiday celebrations with recipes that children and adults can make together. Plus, there are 25 more recipes in the new book! 

The book includes essays on Jewish holiday traditions.. plus there are even crafts that parents and grandparents can do with children... perfect for making memories. 

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book. 

The Apple Latkes: 

The apple latkes are soooooo delicious! You can sprinkle them with confectioners' or granulated sugar and top them with a lightly sweetened whipped cream, yogurt, or sour cream and berries for a lovely light dessert. 

They are also tasty as a breakfast side dish. I served them with berries and a make-ahead breakfast casserole for Sunday brunch. 

All you need are grated apples, lemon, vanilla, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, flour, and butter.

I used a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples, along with seedless lemons from Melissa's Produce. 

Tips for Making These Apple Latkes:

First, after grating the apples (either by food processor or box grater), be sure to squeeze out the excess liquid. You can either use your hands or press the shredded apples in a strainer. It's amazing how much liquid there is! If you want, you can save the juice from the apples and reduce it with some sugar to make an apple caramel sauce! 

After squeezing out the juices, be sure to toss the shredded apples with the lemon juice to prevent browning. 

Toss together the recipe ingredients and then fry them in melted butter until crispy and browned on both sides. Don't overcrowd the pan while frying. 

Finally, place a sheet pan in a 200 degree F oven to keep the fried latkes warm while you finish cooking the rest. 

I had the joy of attending an event at Melissa's Produce where we got to meet Joan and taste a variety of her recipes, as prepared by the Melissa's Produce kitchen. 

One of my favorite part was listening to Joan introduce each recipe and telling the story that accompanied each. Her stories were fascinating and touching. 

She's also just written My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories, a wonderful memoir about her life and the meaningful accompanying recipes. 

It includes food and the recipes that have defined her life. In the book, she looks back at her family’s history and shares stories of her childhood in postwar New York and Rhode Island; her years in Paris, New York, Israel, and Washington, DC. Joan has spent decades discovering Jewish cuisine from around the world and redefining Jewish cooking in America—She recounts her career as a food writer, as well as her marriage, motherhood, and family celebrations, all told with accompanying recipes to share the nourishment, flavors, and community around food that Joan has cultivated in her life.  

Joan Nathan is considered the “queen of American Jewish cooking” (Houston Chronicle) and “the grande dame of Jewish cooking” by the New Yorker.

P.S. If you buy the book, be sure to try the recipe for the Gratin Dauphinois (Scalloped Potatoes). We had them at the event. The burnt parts are the best!

In the book, A Sweet Year, the photos of Joan Nathan and her twin grandchildren are adorable. How cool is that! 

By the way, these apple latkes make great leftovers. Just reheat them in the toaster oven, an air fryer, or on a hot skillet. 

2025 Alphabet Challenge: 

We're back at it. Last year was so much fun that we decided to have another go at baking through the alphabet (even X!). Love these people! Check out their recipes! 

A is for Aloo, Apple, Almond, Aglio, Asparagus, Artichoke, Acini, Avocado, and Anchovy:

• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Aglio e Olio Pasta
• Sneha’s Recipe: Aloo Phulkopir Dalna 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Apple Latkes 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Apples and Greens with Apple Vinaigrette 
• Blogghetti: Apple Pie Tacos 
• Magical Ingredients : Artichoke Baby Greens Dip 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Avocado, Bean & Mango Salad 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Creamy Parmesan Acini di Pepe with Potatoes 
• A Messy Kitchen: Dianna’s Almond Cake 
• Food Lust People Love: Roasted Asparagus Soup 

Apple Latkes

Yield: 10 Latkes

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min

These apple latkes are both tart and sweet, and are perfect for breakfast and even dessert.

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 large, or about 5 to 6 small Granny Smith, Honeycrisp apples, peeled
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus the juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash of ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Toppings of your choice such as sugar, whipped cream sour cream, yogurt, and/or berries

Instructions

1. Place a sheet pan in a 200 degree F oven for keeping the latkes warm while you are preparing the rest.
2. Using the large holes of a box grater or a food processor, grate the apples. squeeze them to remove as much of the juice as possible.
3. Place the shredded apples into a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the lemon zest and the lemon juice.
5. In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Stir in the salt, vanilla, granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fold in the apples.
6. Heat a 12-inch heavy skillet and add the butter. After the butter melts, spread 1/4 cup of the apple mixture to make one 3- or 4-inch pancake. Repeat, filling the skillet with no more than four pancakes at a time, and cook them on one side for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and bubbling and brown around the edges. Flip with a spatula, and cook until golden on the other side. Drain on paper towels before placing on the heated sheet pan in the oven.
7. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

57

Fat (grams)

4 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

3 g

Fiber (grams)

0 g

Net carbs

3 g

Sugar (grams)

1 g

Protein (grams)

2 g

Cholesterol (grams)

46 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2024/12/apple-latkes.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

latkes, apples

dessert, breakfast

Jewish

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @karenskitchenstories.com on instagram and hashtag it #karenskitchenstories