Potato Candy Recipes

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By Jeanne Benedict
Celebrations Expert

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Make Potato Candy for St. Patrick's Day!

If Thanksgiving is all about the turkey, than St. Patrick's Day is all about potatoes...and green beer, of course!

These offbeat candy recipes use potatoes as their main ingredients.

Serve them on March 17th to your St. Patrick's Day pals and ask them to guess what the secret ingredient is.

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St. Patrick Potato Candies

Years ago, I found this 1920's potato candy recipe on Ghosttraveller.com. As there isn't a formal ingredient list, I've done my best to guess at the measurements. The original recipe consists only of the directions, which you'll find has a charming antiquated tone.

Ingredients

1 cup mashed potatoes (enough to fill a teacup)
2 lbs. confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Green food coloring
Blanched whole almonds
1 cup granulated sugar

Steps

Freshly boil and mash enough peeled potato to fill a teacup. Put through a sieve, for there must not be a lump in it.
Stir in 2 lbs confectioners sugar. The dough should be firm enough to roll out or mould.
Flavor with almond extract (or another extract if preparing the optional flavors below), and work in sufficient green food coloring to give a soft shade.
Roll mixture into balls the size of a hickory nut and press into each a blanched almond. Dust with granulated sugar. These are very appropriate sweets for the 17th of March parties.
Optional for pink potatoes: Another part flavor with rose or strawberry. Color a delicate pink and roll in each a filbert or almond. Brush with unbeaten egg white and roll in shredded coconut.
Optional for brown potatoes: Another part flavor with vanilla, make into ovals shaped like small potatoes. Put in "eyes" (i.e. potato 'eyes') of peanuts or almonds or puffed rice, after rolling in cocoa until they are a dusty potato brown.
Optional for chocolate peanut butter potatoes: For still another potato confection, roll remainder of dough into 1/8 inch thickness on board dusted with powdered sugar. Spread with melted chocolate or peanut butter, roll up and cut in slices.

Tags: Jeanne Benedict, St. Patrick's Day, Potato Candy

Mashed Potato Candy

Here's a fun recipe from WhatsforDinner.net that turns potatoes into a coconut chocolate chip concoction.

Ingredients

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cold mashed potatoes
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups flaked coconut
Non-stick cooking spray

Steps

Mix powdered sugar and mashed potatoes together until powdered sugar has blended into the potatoes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir chocolate chips and chopped walnuts into mashed potato mixture. Blend in flaked coconut.
Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread candy mixture evenly into pan.
Place in hot oven and bake for 15 minutes or until chocolate has melted and coconut is lightly brown.
Cool and cut into squares.