When I was little, my mom used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. She loved to cook and bake for her family – it made her feel needed and special. My favorite thing she made was something that her own mother used to make for her when she was a child. Every Mother’s Day, my sister and I make this for our mom, to remind her of her own wonderful childhood with her mother. We also make it to show our appreciation to her as our mom!
It’s unconventional, and a little quirky, but it’s absolutely divine! This old fashioned potato candy might sound strange, but you’ll be hooked just like my mom was, from the first bite. This was created in the 1930’s, during the Depression Era. It was a cheap way to get a sweet tooth craving satisfied, and it’s obviously so yummy, it’s sticking around! This recipe is simple, but you’ll want to take your time making it, because the consistency of the “dough” will vary a lot, depending on the potatoes you use. This recipe will make about 30-40 pieces of candy, so half it if you need less.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 small russet potato (or about 1/4 cup plain mashed potatoes)
- 1-2 pounds powdered sugar
- 3-6 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or maple extract (optional)
If you’re using a whole potato, either peel and boil it until soft, or cook it in the microwave until soft in the middle. Mash it up, and place it in a large mixing bowl. Start adding powdered sugar and mix with mixer or whisk. At first, you’ll have a smashed banana consistency, and it will eventually become much less wet, with more of a thicker, cookie dough-like texture, as you add more powdered sugar. If you use extract, now is the time to add it. Continue to add sugar until you reach that thick cookie-dough consistency.
Lay out plastic wrap, sprinkle powdered sugar over the wrap and dough, then roll the dough until it’s about 1/4 inches thick. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter over the dough – note that the more you add, the harder it will be to roll. Roll it up into a log (very slowly and carefully), then roll the dough log into the plastic, so it’s completely covered. Cut the log in half (if needed), and put both halves in a gallon sized Ziploc bag or freezer bag. Freeze for an hour, then slice the log into pieces about 1 inch slices, and serve!
You can really play with this recipe – instead of peanut butter, try Nutella! Add some chocolate chips or drizzle! Try different extracts for different flavor combinations! This candy is so much fun, and so yummy, you’ll be making it for special occasions from now on! Note that it IS candy, so it’s very sweet!
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5 Comments
When my grandmother was still with us, every Christmas she would make her famous potato candy, and yes it’s very sweet but oh so good!! I have tried many times time make it but fail every single time, I can never get mine to be like hers, she added cocoa powder in hers too, to make a chocolate one, I was going to try again after seeing this post, but I know myself I will fail…lol
Hopefully it turns out, girl! Took me a few tries to get it just right. Adding coco powder sounds AMAZING!
I had never heard of this candy before, and I’ve heard of a whole lot of old time candies…even made a few…so I had to ask my grandma if she had ever…she had, lol. Said it was good and that i would like it. So I made them tonight. I used a chocolate cheesecake flavored filling…that jiff stuff that’s like nutella? It’s in the freezer now so I have my fingers crossed…
I have never heard of potato candy. At first glance, I feel like I wouldn’t like it, but if I actually ate it I would wonder where it has been my whole life!!
I remember my grandmother making this for the holidays. I have made it a couple of times but it does seem so much sweeter than I remember it as a child. I must have had a much bigger sweet tooth then.