Candy: potato candy question

Subject: potato candy question
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: nbhansen at midway.uchicago.edu (Nicole B. Hansen)
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 19:45:11 GMT
--------
Has anyone ever made potato candy? How firm or soft is it? And would it be OK after about 30 hours unrefrigerated? I've never made it before. I have lots of potatoes to use up in the next two days and I thought this might be a way to use some of them, but I won't bother if the candy will not be easily transportable and stand up to being unrefrigerated (although it may be in temperatures that are not very warm anyway).
From: Elizabeth Falkner (falkners at home.com)
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 15:27:14 -0500
--------
Potato candy? Wellllllllll....

Title: Irish Potato Candy
Categories: Cyberealm, Candies, Christmas, Mom's best
Yield: 16 servings

1 tb Mashed potatoes
1 12 oz jar peanutbutter
2 1/4 c Confectioners' sugar

Placed mashed potatoes in a mixer bowl. Add confectioners' sugar one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Spread into greased 10 x 15 inch pan. Spread peanut butter over top. Roll as for a jelly roll. Cut into slices.

Source: Homemade for the Holidays Cookbook, 1992

similar:

MASHED POTATO CANDY

1/4 cup mashed potatoes (1 sm. potato)
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
Dash salt
1 lb box powdered sugar
Peanut butter

Mix together all ingredients, except peanut butter. Add sugar until dough consistency. Roll out onto powdered sugar dusted bread board or waxed paper. Spread peanut butter all over. Roll it up like a jelly roll loaf.

and there's:

MASHED POTATO FUDGE
from: Potpourri of Cooking

1/2 Cup cooked,potatoes, mashed
2 tablespoons soft butter or margarine
1 pound confectioners'sugar
3 squares cooking chocolate, softened and melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt

Put mashed potaotes into a mixing bowl. Add soft butter and mix. Add confectioners' sugar, mix well. Add vanilla to melted chocolate, then add with salt to the mashed potato mix. Chill. Coconut may be added. Cut into bars or squares.

Place in refrigerator to chill. Slice 1/4-inch thick.

and close is:

Potato Candy

Recipe By: "Homemade Happiness" St.Anne's Parish, Caribou, Maine

3/4 cup mashed potatoes -- cold
4 cups confectioner's sugar
4 cups coconut -- chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 squares baking chocolate (sweet or semisweet)

Mix Potatoes and confectioners sugar. Stir in coconut, vanilla and salt.

Blend well. Press into one large or two small pans, so candy will be 1/2 inch thick. Melt chocolate over hot water, do not let water boil. Pour chocolate on top of candy, cool and cut in squares. For variations, make haystacks, by forming white mixture into cones 1 inch high. Allow to stand uncovered for 20 minutes. Dip base of each cone in melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper until chocolate hardens. Yields about 100 haystacks.
From: nbhansen at midway.uchicago.edu (Nicole B. Hansen)
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 20:56:22 GMT
--------
Thanks for the recipes, but I need an answer to my questions before I bother to make any. I'm not taking them halfway around the world and opening my bag just to find a bunch of rotten smushed potato candy. Have you actually tried any of these recipes and can tell me how they would hold up?
From: Tanith
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 06:12:56 GMT
--------
There are a number of possible ways to make potato candy. One of them involves a process that I'm not sure you can easily duplicate at home, extracting the starches and sugars and creating a syrup which can be reduced into a semi-hard candy. This product lasts a very long time unrefrigerated, but will eventually crystallize and bloom, especially in a humid climate.

Another is a Mexican technique that involves boiling sweet potatoes, squash, cactus or other starchy/sweet biomass in sugar syrup until thoroughly candied, then allowing to dry. This product lasts roughly forever.

The recipes earlier on this thread for mashed potato candy would not stand up very long unrefrigerated, as the sugar will not adequately penetrate the starchy matter with the cooking process given. It would be likely to sour and ferment if not kept refrigerated.
From: tamale at primenet.com (Teresa in Los Angeles)
Date: 26 Jan 1998 21:38:01 -0700
--------
Well, I'm going to date myself. I'm 48 years old and my great-grandmother used to make potato candy. When I inquired about it a couple of years ago in this newsgroup I was appalled that people actually put peanut butter and the like in it. I have fond memories of the candy.

My great-grandmother, Lula Harper, made it very simply. Colored in light pastels .... sometimes stuffed with a walnut, an almond...the filling sometimes peeking out. The candy can be very lovely (keep in mind I haven't tasted it in 40 years <g>.

Perhaps some of the trick is allowing children to help make and eat the candy.