Lefsa is a thin, soft, round, brown-speckled pastry rolled out from a small ball of dough then baked on a hot griddle. When cool, it can be spread with butter and sugar then rolled into a cigar shape to be eaten. It is often eaten as a snack or takes the place of bread at a meal. Lefsa is a much favored Norwegian tradition of all the Alm family holiday gatherings.

I learned the art of lefsa making from observing my Norwegian mother-in-law in her flour-dusted kitchen rolling small balls of dough into thin flat circles. She flopped them onto her flat-topped wood burning kitchen stove to be baked. At just the right moment, she would lift up an edge with a long pointed flat stick to see if the right degree of brown spots had formed. If they had, the circle was flipped to its other side to finish baking until the brown spots underneath were just right too.

Other family members have carried on with making other Norwegian specialties such as krumkake, jultake (?), and fatigman(?). Although I am not Norwegian, I inherited the job of making lefsa since the others said their efforts always turned out tough and that mine was the best. Avoiding the messiness was in their favor too.

To begin the job of making lefsa, one needs certain simple equipment and a span of uninterrupted time. I plan on four hours per session which includes setting up and cleaning up. For equipment and ingredients, one needs potatoes, flour, a ricer, a rolling pin with stockinette sleeve, a rolling mat, electric skillet (in lieu of a lefsa grill), a pancake turner (instead of a lefsa stick), and ample counter space.

Although some lefsa makers think the variety of potatoes is conducive to the outcome of a brown-speckled tender lefsa, I have no preference as long as there are no lumps in the cooked mashed potatoes. That's why a ricer is recommended even though they may be hard to find in kitchen shops nowadays. Left over regular mashed potatoes from dinner may be used although one may have to contend with lumps that require extra rolling. I have found that less vigorous rolling makes the finished product lighter and more tender. Although there are various Scandinavian recipes, my recipe is my own by-guess-and-by-gosh. This was Grandma Alm's tried and true recipe also.

The day before the rolling session, the potatoes are boiled in salted water to a firm (not mushy) state then they are drained and riced. I add a little butter and milk to make a nice fluffy consistency. Then the potatoes are left to cool on the porch or in the fridge.

The next day, usually in the evening when the rest of the family are occupied elsewhere, the kitchen radio and the coffee pot keep me company as I clear the counters of all unnecessary articles and scrub them clean. I then gather the equipment and plug in the skillet to heat it up to 365^o F. Then the dough mixing, rolling, and baking begins. Mashed potatoes and flour are blended together with a pie crust blender. With clean floured hands, medium sized balls about the size of a large egg are formed and kneaded. I usually do about 10 of these at a time, re-kneading each as each ball comes next in line for rolling. With plenty (but not too much) flour, the ball is rolled to a very thin 9 to 10 inch circle. To avoid sticking, a little more flour can be added to the board but not too much as more flour makes the lefsa tough. A light rolling touch on the rolling pin is best. The rolled circle is then gently lifted and placed in the hot griddle. No shortening is required.

With one eye on the griddle, I begin rolling out the next ball. About a 1/2 minute later, I lift an edge of the baking lefsa with the pancake turner to check on brown spots forming underneath. If the spots are a nice light brown, I flip it over for about another 1/2 minute until the spots are just right. When they are, the lefsa is removed to a waiting plate. The process is repeated until all the balls are rolled, baked, and stacked. I turn the stack over once to cool some then turn it again and cover it lightly with clear plastic wrap (like Saran) which has been punched with holes to avoid sogginess or crusty edges. This stack is stored in the coolest place in the house. How I wish I had a porch! Refrigeration is not recommended but deep freezing is OK. Still, some say that they are not as good later as when they are fresh.

When all the lefsa has been baked, it is time to clean up which is the biggest chore. Although no grease has been used (and I like that feature) flour is everywhere. I feel like I've been in a flour bin for three hours!

When serving, the rounds can be cut in halves (although my daughter prefers whole circles), folded into triangles and arranged accordian fashion on a nice plate then served with butter and a sugar bowl nearby. Each person prepares his own with his choice of filling. The rolled up lefsa with filling may become soggy and watery if prepared too far in advance.

I must say it took many sessions to master the technique of rolling these bland, colorless, balls of dough into the brown-speckled rounds savored by those who love lefsa. Strangely, I do not care for lefsa but I do get a big kick out of watching others enjoy this part of Norwegian heritage along with nostalgic memories of Grandma Alm's lefsa - her's were the best.