St. Patrick's Day Fun #6: St. Pat's Potato Candy

I was a little leery in doing this, thinking it was going to taste more like potato than candy, but boy was I wrong! I found this at Disney Family Fun magazine's website. (They have a TON of fun ideas there!)

St. Pat's Potato Candy

• 1 large potato


• Pinch of salt


• 2 tablespoons butter


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 4 to 5 cups confectioners' sugar


• 5 cups sweetened coconut flakes

1. Peel the potato and boil it in water until soft. In a mixing bowl, mash the cooked potato with the salt and butter. Then -- this is key -- let it cool completely, or else it will melt the sugar when you add it.
2. Mix in the vanilla extract and 4 cups of sugar. At this point, the mixture should be stiff. If it isn't, add more sugar.
3. Sprinkle half of the coconut onto a waxed-paper-covered surface and turn the potato mixture onto it. Roll the batter until all of the coconut has been mixed in, then shape teaspoonfuls into small balls.
4. Roll the balls individually in the remaining coconut. Chill the finished candies until you're ready to serve them. Makes about 4 dozen.

I had talked to my mom about these before making them and, no surprise, she had made them before! Not only had she made them, but she also added a very special ingredient.....

CHOCOLATE! I used 12 ounces of chocolate chips and melted it in the microwave with 1 Tbsp of shortening to make dipping chocolate. They taste just like Mounds bars! DELICIOUS! And dangerous! I have to try to give these things away! ;-)