Duchess Potato Casserole

Ingredients

• 3 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick (NOT CUBED)
• ⅔ cup half-and-half
• 1 large egg, separated, plus 2 large yolks
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Grease (with butter) 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
3. Place potatoes in large saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1 inch.
4. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Adjust heat to maintain gentle simmer and cook until paring knife can be slipped into and out of centers of potatoes with no resistance, 18 to 22 minutes.
5. Drain potatoes.
6. While potatoes cook, combine half-and-half, 3 egg yolks, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg in bowl. Set aside.
7. Place now-empty saucepan over low heat; set ricer or food mill over saucepan. Working in batches, transfer potatoes to hopper and process.
8. Using rubber spatula, stir in 8 tablespoons melted butter until incorporated.
9. Stir in reserved half-and-half mixture until combined.
10. Transfer potatoes to prepared dish and smooth into even layer.
11. Combine egg white, remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter, and pinch salt in bowl and beat with fork until combined.
12. Pour egg white mixture over potatoes, tilting dish so mixture evenly covers surface.
13. Using flat side of paring knife, make series of 1/2-inch-deep, 1/4-inch-wide parallel grooves across surface of casserole. Make second series of parallel grooves across surface, at angle to first series, to create crosshatch pattern.
14. Bake casserole until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let cool for 20 minutes. Serve. 

Notes
- To make this dish easier to pull off, skip the piping and baked the mashed potatoes in a baking dish. To give the casserole a crisp, golden brown, attractive finish, coat the top with a mixture of butter and egg whites and then scored the surface with a paring knife before baking.

- TO MAKE AHEAD: At end of step 3, wrap dish in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. To serve, top and score casserole as directed in step 4 and bake in 375-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

Source
- https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/10219-duchess-potato-casserole

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgqYb9LcUSk

Saltine Cracker Toffee

Ingredients

• 24 saltine crackers
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• ½ cup pecans, roasted and chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325º. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Mist the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Arrange the crackers in a single layer on the pan.
3. In a microwave-safe glass bowl, microwave the butter and brown sugar on HIGH for 3 to 4 minutes, or until sugar melts, stirring occasionally. Pour the hot butter mixture over the crackers.
4. Bake 15 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle the chocolate morsels evenly on top, and let stand until melted, one to two minutes. Spread the melted chocolate over the surface. Sprinkle evenly with nuts.
5. Cover and chill at least two hours. Break into pieces. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Notes
Yield: 2 dozen pieces.
Hint: You can double or triple this recipe to fill a rimmed baking sheet.

Source
https://www.ourstate.com/saltine-cracker-toffee

Perfect Potato Latkes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs of Idaho (russet) potatoes
• 1 small white onion
• 2-3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup matzo meal
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• canola oil

Directions

1. Wash and peel potatoes.
2. Cut potato and onion lengthwise into pieces that will fit into the food processor.
3. Shred potatoes with grating disk of food processor.
4. After every two or three potatoes, move shredded potato to large bowl filled with ice water.
5. Shred onion with grating disk of food processor.
6. Wrap potato shreds in thin dishtowel or cheesecloth. Twist bundle until water flows out. Collect water in a bowl and squeeze all potatoes until dry. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl with onions.
7. Let drained potato water sit undisturbed until a pool of brown water forms on top of a slurry of pale potato starch. Carefully drain off water into the sink, then mix starch into potato onion mixture. 
8. Mix in eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper until latke mix can be formed into patties that just stick together in hands.
9. Heat 1/3 inch oil in skillet until a shred of potato immediately bubbles. Form a small amount of latke mix into a ball and place into oil until the bottom is brown. Flatten the top with slotted spatula then flip. Fry until golden brown. Flip as needed to get a firm, darker than golden crust on both sides.
10. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with paper towels to cool for two minutes, top with salt (optional-and lemon zest) then serve with applesauce and sour cream/plain Greek yogurt.

Notes

• Use a ratio of 1 small onion to every 1 ½ lbs of russet potatoes

Watch This Video Before You Freak Out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwOoMG3J4h8

Source
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/12/how-to-make-latkes.html

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/blog/food/2014/12/15/michelin-star-latkes-and-sufganiyot

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/hanukkah/how-to-fry-the-ultimate-best-potato-latkes-for-hanukkah-holiday