Are you wondering exactly what this is? Here’s some info from WikipediA…

True “Irish potato” candy, while most probably not Irish, is made from a small cooked potato, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and usually includes coconut flakes. The potato is mashed, without any added liquid, and the confectioner’s sugar is then added gradually. The coconut and vanilla are added while the mixture is still somewhat soft to make blending easier; and additional confectioner’s sugar is added until a consistency is reached that will allow rolling into bite-sized, potato-shaped balls. The candy is allowed to dry for a couple of hours and then rolled in cinnamon to achieve the appearance of tiny potatoes. Drying the candy before rolling in the cinnamon keeps the cinnamon from becoming dark(the referenced recipe is almost identical to the one that was handed down through at least 3 generations before being shared with this contributor’s family over 40 years ago.)

This is a fun candy to make with children because it does not involve any heat after the cooking of the potato; and because of the initial reaction between the confectioner’s sugar and the mashed potato. When the sugar is added to the mashed potato the mixture becomes liquid, then becomes gradually firmer as more sugar is added.

If you do not object to breaking with tradition you can substitute powdered cocoa for the cinnamon for a slightly browner potato without the cinnamon’s “bite”. You can also leave the coconut out, or try dipping the candy in chocolate. The potato and confectioner’s sugar makes a nice base for experimenting with other flavors, such as mint. There are also other types of potato candy, for which recipes can be easily found online.

Here at North East Chocolates & Gelato, our Irish Potato Candy has a base of Coconut Flakes rather than potatoes. But the “Irish” is still there We hope you’ll give this tasty St. Patrick’s Celebration Treat a try.