My Grandmother makes Irish Potato Candy every year at Christmas time and they have always been my favorite candy. A few years ago, I finally talked her into sharing the recipe with me.
Ingredients
- 1 VERY small potato
- Lots of powdered sugar (I try to have either 2 large bags or 4 boxes on hand just in case)
- Peanut Butter – creamy works best
Directions
Step One: Boil the heck out of the potato. I typically boil it for about an hour
Step Two: Peel and mash the potato – concentrate on making it as smooth as possible
Step Three: Mix powdered sugar with potato (adding a small amount of sugar at a time) until a dough forms
Step Four: Flatten dough as thin as possible while still being able to work it (this step and the next step need to be completed pretty quickly before the dough hardens and begins to crack.
Step Five: Spread a layer of peanut butter over the flattened dough
Step Six: Roll into log and slice into pieces.
Depending on the size and type of your potato, this could yield anywhere from a couple dozen pieces to enough to supply the entire neighborhood.
Miz Helen says
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and thank you so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Kelli Miller says
Thank you for hosting and for always coming by to leave a comment. I have no idea how you have time to ALWAYS comment on everyone that links up. Thanks back at ya’! 🙂
Deb @ Kneaded Creations says
What an interesting idea! I am going to have to try this, and the variation mentioned above with the coconut! just popping over from the DIY Showcase Link Party. I have pinned, liked and tweeted, and g+-ed. I would love it if you would drop by my site at http://www.kneadedcreations.com for a short visit! I will look forward to seeing you there! Deb @ Kneaded Creations.
Kelli Miller says
Thanks for coming by, Deb! I just love this and the memories making it invokes is priceless 🙂
Crystal & Co says
I have never heard of these. Interesting.
Kelli Miller says
Girl, this is my absolute favorite Christmas candy and as soon as I introduced my kids to it they also fell in love! So very yummy!!
Debi and Charly @ Adorned From Above says
Sorry, I got distracted. I meant this looks amazing.
Debi and Charly
Kelli Miller says
LOL! Trust me, I totally get it 🙂 Thanks so much for your kind words – it is really yummy. You don’t taste the potato just sweet and peanut butter 🙂
Steph H says
Years ago, my kindergarten teacher and the class made this candy to raise money for a field trip.It was a big hit for the whole school!
Cindy Merrill says
Maine needhams are very close to this- only difference is, you omit the peanutbutter, sprinkle in fresh grated coconut, then pour melted chocolate over the chilled sliced candy.
Molli says
That sounds really interesting! I have never tried cookies made of potatoes so I will for sure give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
ButterYum says
Oh wow, I haven’t heard about Irish Potato Candy for YEARS!!!!! You just brought back a flood of memories.
🙂
ButterYum
Linda Law says
This is an old family recipe that was passed down from my grandmother. This also works well with leftover baked potatoes. A small potato goes a looonnnnggg way! The nice thing with a baked potato, is that you keep a little bit more nutrition from it–as if that matters with so much sugar! 🙂 It was always a fun treat to tell my friends I ate candy made from potatoes.
sue @ Cakeballs, cookies and more says
that is so funny I have never heard of this before. But it sound really good.
Mlissabeth says
Yay! I love anything with either potatoes or peanut butter, and this fits both. My mom used to mke a Christmas candy with potatoes and coconut and powdered sugar. She topped it with chocolate, and they tasted like Mounds bars. They were so good!
Pat says
Top of the morning! Your potato candy sounds delicious! Pat
Siggy Spice says
Looks fabulous! I MUST try it! Does it matter what type of potato you use? i.e., russett, yukon gold, red, etc? Also, do you boil the potato whole? Do you think it would matter if you peel it and cut into chunks before you boil it? How long does it keep? Does it have to go in the fridge? Ok, now that I have slammed you with a billion questions, lol! 🙂
Kelli says
I use a Russet, not sure if it matters – some will produce more liquid than others. I just wash the potato and then boil it. I wouldn’t worry about cutting it or anything. It doesn’t keep for a huge amount of time, but no you don’t put it in the fridge. Just a tin – I separate the layers with a bit of waxed paper. Once you roll it and it sets, the becomes a bit harder. 🙂
Mary says
My Dad used to make this. The potato does not matter. You can even peel first and then boil it. If you do that, you get a wetter potato. My daughter this year put the boiled potato in a kitchen aid to creeme the potato.
Mary
Jordan (Wayward Girls' Crafts) says
Cool! I have my first novel coming out in 2013, and the heroine is from Ireland, so I love finding Irish recipes.
Thanks for sharing!
www.HomeBizWins.com says
Alright.
There goes my diet!
These looks AMAZING-Thanks!!!
Rachel says
That’s a traditional recipe in my family too! I don’t always have peanut butter on hand, so sometimes I use other fillers, or just cut out the “dough” with cookie cutters.
I once asked an Irish friend about it, and it is indeed a long-standing Irish candy.
pam says
i am new to your blog and just wanted to say hi and tell you this is one of my families favorite recipes.
Crystal Martin says
I make a peanut butter log similar to this but it doesn’t call for potato. I’ll have to try this!!!
Jessie K says
Yum! Thanks for sharing!
Followed from Made By You Monday.
angie lilly says
OMG my uncle used to make this stuff for me when I was a kid! Loved it!
Free Education Aid says
So delicious. I will try to make it once. Thanks for giving recipe.