Remember this one? My mother used to make Potato Candy every year and put it on her three-tier glass stand along with date balls, fudge, molasses cookies and fruitcake.
She probably had fun chasing us three girls around the house after all that sugar, but we sure enjoyed those Christmas sweets!
My Mom’s recipe is as follows: “boil Irish potatoes with jackets on, mix with powdered sugar, add a pinch of salt and some vanilla. Roll out very thin, add a layer of peanut butter and roll up. Refrigerate till firm, then slice into 1/4″ slices.” O.K.
On the first try, I nuked two potatoes and started adding powdered sugar…and kept adding and adding and adding. It never got to doughy consistency, even after over a box of powdered sugar. Into the garbage it went.
I decided to try again this year and used one-half of one potato. I started adding powdered sugar by the cup and finally at about 3 1/2 cups, the the dough was formed and I could roll it out and finish the recipe. I’m still amazed at how much liquid the potato adds to the batter!
Making Potato Candy really brings back memories of sneaking into the refrigerator and grabbing a few of these sweet, peanut-buttery candies every time I went by.
It Christmas candy recipe also brings back great memories of family, fun, and love during the holiday season.
Potato Candy
Very sweet candy with a peanut butter finish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium baking potato, peeled
- 3 1/2 C powdered sugar, (may need more)
- 1 C peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Microwave the potato until soft.
- Mix the potato and one cup of the powdered sugar in a medium bowl till smooth. Add vanilla and salt.
- Continue adding powdered sugar until it forms a dough consistency that you can pick up (leave it slightly sticky).
- Put a little powdered sugar on your counter and knead the dough until proper consistency for rolling. Add powdered sugar as needed.
- Roll out the dough into a 1/4" thick square and spread the peanut butter over it evenly. Roll the dough into a log and cover with saran wrap.
- Put in the refrigerator for at least one hour, then cut into 1/4" slices. Keep refrigerated when not serving.
Notes
You can always use more potato, but remember it takes a ton of powdered sugar per potato!
You can use smooth or crunchy peanut butter. I like to use smooth as it rolls up more easily.
The slices are thin, but the candy is very sweet and doesn't need to be sliced any thicker.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1 pieceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 128Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 55mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
Nutrition Values are Approximate
