Gnocchi

When I was growing up this was my favorite meal, now it's my girls all time favorite Italian dish. The only difference is when I was growing up they were made by hand so it was a special treat saved for holidays and family gatherings. My kiddos have lucked out and since my father now makes them with his pasta maker they get them whenever they wish. Abby called him this morning before school to ask him to whip up a batch. She is so spoiled!
Ingredients
1 cup dry potato flakes
1 cup boiling water
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
Place potato flakes in a medium-size bowl. Pour in boiling water; stir until blended. Let cool. Stir in egg, salt, and pepper. Blend in enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough. Turn dough out on a well floured board. Knead lightly. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a long thin roll, the thickness of a breadstick. With a knife dipped in flour, cut into bite-size pieces. Using your fingertip press against a piece of the dough and roll it slightly to form an indentation. Place a few gnocchi in boiling water. As the gnocchi rise to the top of the pot, remove them with a slotted spoon. Repeat until all are cooked.
*this is the way I make them, it's revised from my grandmother's method. Instead of instant potatoes she would bake potatoes in their skins until tender. Let them cool and remove skins before putting them through a potato ricer.