My mother and I took a walk down memory lane to New York’s world famous Coney Island.
“They were absolutely delicious potato knishes. They really were.,” recalls my mother, while reminiscing about Surf Knishes, my parents’ knish factory on Coney Island’s Surf Avenue 50 years ago.
“Everything was fresh”, she continues, “no artificial ingredients, real potatoes and the secret spice recipe.”
Recalling the sights and sounds of one of New York’s most famous hot spots for food, entertainment and summer fun, she explained that one of Surf Knishes wholesale customers was the iconic restaurant Nathan’s Famous, then owned by the Handwerker Family.
Surf Knishes also had a take-away window to serve the passersby delighting in the sights of the Coney Island Boardwalk. I can imagine the locals and tourists working up an appetite while enjoying the famed Cyclone roller coaster, the performers and parades.
What better to satisfy their hunger than this traditional Ashkenazi Jewish pocket of deliciousness of mashed potatoes in a warm flaky pastry. My recipe may be different, but the passion remains the same as evidenced by my knishes being devoured like hotcakes off the griddle.
Freshen up your home or surprise someone with a beautiful gift from Venice!
Products I Love
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My husband bought me this KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender many years ago and I absolutely love it! I use it on a daily basis to make smoothies, soups, sauces, nut butter and more. It also comes with a whisk attachment that makes potato puree, scrambling eggs and beating egg whites into stiff peaks a piece of cake.
I’ve highlighted more products I love in the recipe instructions for these delicious potato knishes. Check them out!
Delicious Potato Knishes
Ingredients
Knish Dough
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup apple juice or water
Potato Filling
- 3 large potatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 1 egg
- 1 egg for eggwash
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients
- Add the vegetable oil and mix
- Add 1/2 cup of apple juice or water and mix.
- Add remaining liquid by the spoonful until dough is well-mixed
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or until ready to use.
- While dough is chilling, boil 3 large potatoes in salted water.
- Dice and sautee’ half an onion until translucent.
- Place sautéed onion in a large bowl. Add the boiled potatoes and mash with a fork and season the mixture with 2 tablespoons of evoo and salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the egg to the potato mixture and mix well.
- Tip: I use an immersion blender to quickly puree the potato mixture, because my family prefers a smooth filling. Skip this step if you prefer otherwise.
- Roll out the dough thinly into a rectangle.
- Using a smooth edged knife, cut the dough in half vertically and then into quarter horizontally to make eight even-sized rectangles.
- Add a dollop of potato mixture to the bottom half of a rectangle and fold and close the knish. Press the edges closed all around with your fingertips. (Like someone two-finger typing with their pointer fingers). Repeat with the remaining rectangles.
- Brush each knish with beaten egg and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for approximately 30 minutes.