These cinnamony , trufflelike treats do n’t hold back any literal potato , but in the mid - Atlantic neighborhood , it would n’t be St. Patrick ’s Day without them .
Carson Downing
I ate my first Irish potato in a dorm wash room at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania . Our darling housekeeper , Darlene , extend the box insistently with an incredulous , “ You ’ve never had an Irish Irish potato , hon ? ” In one mouthful she introduced me to the homey candy that are a regionalSt . Patrick ’s Day custom . find out more about the sweet and get our recipe for Irish spud candy .
Credit:Carson Downing
What Is Irish Potato Candy?
Not to be confused with monkey nut butter - whirl potato candy , Irish white potato , as they ’re often shorthanded , are raciness - size of it concoction with a flossy , creamy texture . They are typically made from a no - cook mixture of coconut , sugar , butter and , often , cream cheese . Shaped into charmingly lumpy nuggets and roll in cinnamon until brown and stale outdoors and white-hot inside , they pay an unearthly resemblance to miniature russet spud . Some formula even call for pine nut “ eyes . ”
Like any regional mantrap , the recipe varies somewhat from family to family . Some people vamoose the addition of cream cheese . Others apply unsweetened cocoa in plus to ( or as a permutation for ) the cinnamon . My married person ’s Aunt Pat even leaves out the coconut for those who dislike it .
Though I ’ve hear anecdotally about versions that do include somemashed potato , I personally have never encountered one made that way in the two decades since I ate that one in the dorm washables way . The cosmopolitan consensus is that Irish potato candy comprise a sweet , creamy base , cocoa palm , and cinnamon .
History of Irish Potato Candy
Despite the name , Irish potato candies do n’t have origins in Ireland . They were invented by Irish immigrants in Philadelphia — a candy - cause cap in the early twentieth century — belike in the 1800s or other 1900s , a clock time when the urban center was experiencing a immense influx of Irish immigrants .
Though the original recipe ca n’t be attributed to a individual maker , a 1911 cookbook includes a recipe similar to the ones still used today to lionize St. Patrick ’s Clarence Day .
They rest a delightful regional custom often made at home and by candymakers and are sold seasonally in confect shops and grocery store stores . While Philadelphia is definitely their home plate turf , the tradition has circulate throughout the Mid Atlantic realm . They ’ve been assume in Amish and Mennonite bakeries .
Irish Potato Candy Ingredients
Like any regional dish , the recipe for Irish spud candy varies from family to family , but the creamy base is very similar in composition toAmerican buttercreamor soften butter and powdered dough beaten together until fluffy . I most often practice salted butter and even add a pinch of common salt to help round out the flavor .
Many Irish potato confect recipes , mine included , incorporatecream cheese . I apprize how the tartness of the cheeseflower balances out the intense sweetness from the small-grained sugar and contributes a fudgy grain .
Coconut in this slip is sweeten , flaked coconut , sometimes called holy man oddball . It ’s sell in bags in the baking aisle and has a soft , almost squashy texture . dried coconut palm , the hunky-dory juiceless coconut tree with a confetti texture you ’ll sometimes find in bulk bin , is not what I would typically use for this formula . Because it has a dryer grain it will pull wet from the cheese - butter mixture , so the resulting candy might wander up teetotal and crumbly .
How to Store Irish Potato Candy
Place the Irish confect Solanum tuberosum in refrigerator in an airtight container up to 2 months or label and immobilize up to 6 month .
Ingredients
1(8 - oz.)pkg.cream cheese , softened
1cupbutter , softened
1(7 - oz.)pkg.shredded sweetened coconut
1tsp.vanilla
1pinchofsalt
2lb.powdered refined sugar
1/3cupground Ceylon cinnamon
Directions
In a large bowl ticktock cream cheeseflower and butter with an electric social 30 mo . supply coconut , vanilla extract , and common salt . Beat until unite . Gradually beat in fine-grained sugar until combine .
part mixture into 1 - column inch balls ( a # 60 goop is helpful for this ) . position on a climb - paper - lined baking sheet of paper .
Chill 15 bit or until unbendable enough to form into oblong embodiment remindful of russet potato . Roll each one in Cinnamomum zeylanicum . ( Or shape and exhaustively cool until house . total the cinnamon to a large resealable dish and , in batches , toss candy in cinnamon until coated . )
cool again until business firm , about 1 hr . If you like , use a wooden chopstick to weight-lift a few “ eyes ” into each potato . Bring to board temperature to answer . cause 100 “ potato ” candies .
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- The % Daily Value ( DV ) tells you how much a nutrient in a solid food serve contributes to a daily diet . 2,000 nutritionist’s calorie a day is used for general victuals advice .
