Latkes with an Asian twist for Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah! If you're like me (who almost forgot that Friday was the first night of the festival of lights), I found myself guilt-ridden yesterday and yearning for a bit of tradition to celebrate the holiday season. Noticing I had a decently sweet potato lying around, I decided to put it to use. Normally, I'm a traditional, straight-up potato and onion latke -- applesauce only, please -- kind of girl, but I was determined to forge new frontiers this year. Why not experiment a little? So here we go with what turned out to be a delicious recipe (I baked the latkes rather than frying and still managed to get them crispy, a small feat). Try serving these mini-style, they'd make a great holiday appetizer.

Sweet Potato Latkes with Siriacha-Creme Fraiche

*Siriacha is Asian hot sauce and is soooo good (but super spicy)! You'll find it at your local Asian market or regular grocery store.

Makes 16 mini latkes (double the recipe for more)

The Goods

1 large sweet potato (or 2 small), peeled and grated

1/2 onion, peeled and grated

1 egg

1 Tbsp flour

2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)

fresh ground black pepper to taste

dash of cayenne pepper *literally a pinch, it's hot!

canola oil for the baking sheet

1/2 cup creme fraiche (a fancified version of sour cream)

1 to 2 tsp siriacha hot sauce (more or less to taste, depending on desired spiciness)

The Breakdown

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Mix grated sweet potato, onion, egg, salt, cayenne and black pepper and soy sauce in a large mixing bowl.

3. Brush a baking sheet with a good amount of canola oil, about 1 Tbsp or so.

4. Make mini latkes from mixture, each about a small handful's worth. Press out excess liquid before placing on baking sheet.

5. Bake at 425 for about 12 minutes, flip latkes and bake another 10-12 minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy.

6. Mix creme fraiche and siriacha and serve with latkes.