Rave: Christmas Note #13: Potato Candy

Yes, you can make candy from poatoes. And though it might sound like something the Irish would dream up, I believe this simple to make treat is actually German. No one seems quite sure where it came from, but my grandmother, who used to make this recipe, was of German descent, originally out of Pennsylvania.

So, how do you make potato candy? It’s quite easy really, and would be a great recipe to try with children. You need one potato (a small one), cooked and mashed well. Then mix in powdered sugar until it becomes thick enough to roll. You’ll be amazed how much sugar it takes because the mixture goes all runny before it gets stiff. Once it’s thick enough to roll out, sprinkle powder sugar on the counter or board and on your rolling pin, and roll the mixture flat, sprinkling with more sugar as needed. Spread with creamy peanut butter (lots of it) and roll like you would a jelly roll. It’s good to refrigerate the roll for a bit before slicing into 1/4″ wide pieces of the candy.

My mom actually spreads the peanut butter and then re-rolls the whole thing before spreading with more peanut butter and cutting. I’ve heard of adding coconut, cinnamon, or chocolate also. Experiment!