Vintage potato candy
Since the holiday season is just around the corner, I thought it would be nice to bring out some of my family's vintage candy recipes. It's vintage recipes, like this, that have always been a big part of bringing families and friends together in the heart of our homes (our kitchens).
Vintage potato candy is not to be confused with Irish potato candy. The two candies are entirely different from each other.
Irish potato candy is bite-sized pieces of candy made with sweetened cream cheese and coconut, then sprinkled with cinnamon. The Irish potato candy resembles miniature potatoes when they are dusted with cinnamon. However, potatoes are not an ingredient in them.
Vintage potato candy dates back to the era of the Great Depression. Although, I don't remember my grandparents making these. This was a recipe that my mother-in-law always made for the holidays. Often she skipped using peanut butter in the recipe and simply cut the candy into small pieces, then added powdered sugar to each piece of candy, after it had stiffened up in the refrigerator.
Plain instant potatoes can be used in this recipe. However, don't add any butter, milk, or salt to the instant potatoes. Only add enough water to them to make ½ cup of stiff creamed potatoes.
Ingredients:
½ cup of creamed potatoes (this equals about one large potato)
7 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
⅔ cup of peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
Instructions:
First, peel and cube the potato into chunks. Then, in a small pan, add in enough water to boil the potato. Place the pan on medium-high heat and cook the potato until it is fork-tender. Drain the water off of the potato, then place it in a large mixing bowl. Using a mixer, cream the potato until it's smooth. Allow it to cool slightly.
Now, combine two cups of powdered sugar with the creamed potato. Blend, and stir in the pure vanilla. Continue to add in the rest of the powdered sugar slowly. The mixture should come together as a pliable dough.
Next, sprinkle extra powdered sugar on a large sheet of wax paper. Form the dough into a round-shaped ball and transfer it to the wax paper.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough into an oblong rectangular shape, about one-quarter of an inch thick. (If the rolling pin is sticking, sprinkle the top of the dough with more powdered sugar.) Next, trim the dough with a pastry knife to shape straight edges.
Now, spread a layer of peanut butter over the entire top of the dough. Slowly roll the candy in an oblong shaped log (roll). Wrap with the wax paper, and refrigerate for at least one hour, or until the candy is stiff.
When the hour has passed, unwrap and slice the potato candy into 26 pinwheel pieces.