Dec
16
2006
potato candy
Earlier this week, the Post’s holiday cookie special (which included the aforementioned recipe for cranberry-white chocolate cookies) tickled my sweet tooth. In particular, it had me craving potato candy, a confection my mom used to make when I was little. (In fact, I think the last time I remember having it was second or third grade.) When I got home from work, I called home and got the recipe from my mom. And later that night, after a small grocery run, I took a stab at making it.
The name “potato candy” is kind of a misnomer. Yes, the recipe does call for a potato, but it’s mainly there to help bind together an obscene amount of powdered sugar. No wonder my second grade self had such fond memories of it.
Potato Candy
1 potato, diced, boiled and drained well
1-2 tsp vanilla
A few drops food coloring (if desired)
About 2 lbs. confectioner’s sugar
About 1 small jar peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
(Note: As my mom advised me, a little bit of potato goes a LONG way. You may want to make your first batch with just half a potato, or just a few cubes.)
Mash up the potato with a fork. Add vanilla and food coloring. Slowly mix in the confectioner’s sugar until everything reaches the consistency of pie crust dough. It’ll get REALLY soupy at first and you may panic that you’ve somehow messed it up. Don’t worry — just keep adding sugar, and it’ll thicken eventually. You’re going to add a LOT of sugar.
When the dough is at the right consistency, roll it out on a surface that’s been dusted with more confectioner’s sugar. Cover the top with peanut butter.
Roll the thing into a log, like a jelly roll, and put it in the freezer until hardened. Slice into small servings. (I only used half a potato, and it yielded about 20 usable slices of candy.)
(Note: The candy is best served straight out of the freezer, and tends to get a bit mushy if you leave it out for a while.)
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food to share: A (dieting) blogger for local food blog DCFUD made a funny observation earlier this week about folks who bring in sweets to share with their coworkers: You know those people who bring donuts and cakes into the workplace? They secretly... read more »
Posted by rants and ramblings on October 26, 2007 5:29 PM
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Comments
I also have fond memories of this candy as a child. My aunt made it every year and we loved it but I never knew it was made with a potato! I haven’t had it for at least 30years so we made it this year and yummy….Although we did not indulge as much as we did as children. Try it everyone, you will like it and it is soooo simple to make. My grandkids will remember it too when they are grown….