Are you sure you want to remove this item from your Recipe Box?
Please enter a valid email address...
The emails have been sent
Introducing potato candy, a sweet snack that has absolutely no potato in it. Unless you’re from Philly, you’re probably unfamiliar with the cream cheese–based confection, which is more colloquially known as Irish potato candy. Let’s just say you’ve been missing out.
“This is a hyper-regional dessert made in the Philadelphia area,” recipe developer Erin McDowell tells us, “and it’s especially popular around St. Patrick’s Day. They’re called potatoes because, well, they look like potatoes.” And they taste like a fancy Mounds candy bar, but with cinnamon instead of chocolate.
Lucky for you, making them requires no cooking and just six ingredients. “They’re really soft, sweet and warm—a delicious combination,” McDowell continues. “And they really do look exactly like potatoes!”
5 ounces (85g) cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (57g) salted butter, at room temperature
1 pound (453g) confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
10 ounces (283g) sweetened shredded coconut
Ground cinnamon, as needed for finishing
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until fully combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the side of the bowl, then add about a quarter of the confectioners’ sugar and mix until incorporated. Continue to add the sugar in three more additions, mixing until it’s fully incorporated. Scrape down the side of the bowl.
2. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add the coconut and mix to combine. Roll the mixture into balls (about 2 teaspoons each) and then roll them into oblong shapes. (It’s OK for each piece to be a little different, like real potatoes.) Continue until all the candy is shaped.
3. Roll each piece of candy in ground cinnamon until fully coated. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Enter your registered email below!