My wheels got to turning after the last post I made about my mother's potato candy tradition. I haven't discussed it with her or my grandmother yet, but I wonder the origin of the Potato Candy...here's what I found:
One person said it was Canadian...just because her Canadian mother made it, but many others disagreed with her.
I found it under German recipes...
also found it under Irish recipes...
finally I found it listed as a "Southern" recipe...there's probably some truth in all of these...I'm leaning more toward the Irish orgin...just my thought, only because she grew up in rural Pennsylvania in a small coal mining town where many of her neighbors were of Eastern Europe descent. I can't wait to hear what my Mom knows...I'm sure I'll hear the whole Megillah!
Here's the recipe:
Potato Candy
1 medium boiled potato, chilled
1 or 2 boxes confectioners sugar
Jar of creamy peanut butter
Mash the cold potato with a fork on a plate, and start adding powdered sugar. The mixture will be runny, so keep adding sugar till you get a doughy consistency. When dough is firm, roll out into a circle about ¼- to ½-inch thick. Spread with peanut butter,
leaving a ¼-inch edge. Roll up, jelly-roll style, and slice into ½-inch slices. Refrigerate.
Serves 12.
My family passed this recipe down through the family for several generations. We are of a German/Irish/Southern heritage so I guess all of your thoughts on the origin could work.
I still make it today since it not only tastes so good, but it keeps the tradition alive.
ANother part of the tradition in our family is that Potato Candy would be made around Christmas. I don't know if there is symbolism there but that is part of it.
Posted by: Mark | November 26, 2008 at 05:04 PM
My absolutely FAVORITE candy! It has a wonderful salty sweet combination! I grew up in an area with many Amish -- Pennsylvania Dutch -- and also some Irish immigrants. I have sinced moved away and haven't met anyone else who has ever heard of potato candy. They don't know what they're missing!
Posted by: Wendy | December 22, 2008 at 11:23 AM
My family is originally from rural central Pennsylvania and are of mostly German decent. I grew up with potato candy as a kid, as far as I know it seems to be Pennsylvia Dutch recipie. The term Pennsylvia Dutch is sort of a misnomer as they are really "Pennsylvania Deutsch" for German; as the word "Dutch" implies they are from the Netherlands which they are not.
Posted by: KryptKreeper | March 21, 2009 at 12:20 PM
My grandmother is of direct German descent, and she is the one who passed down the recipe, through my mom, of course. I would bet my last dollar that potato candy is definitely a German recipe.
True, there could be very similar recipes which originated in Ireland...or other places. But the recipe I grew up with, I truly believe to be German.
Posted by: Angela | April 03, 2009 at 07:49 PM
This is a favorite memory from my childhood and my family was from Irish descent. Not sure if that is the origin, but it is to me. Thanks,
Posted by: Robert McGriff | November 10, 2009 at 11:25 PM
I've been makeing Potatoe candy since I was a young girl. The recipe has been pasted down through my Mother's family. They came from Germany.
Posted by: Peggy Long | November 11, 2009 at 08:22 PM
My family is of Scottish, German, Irish and Cherokee descent and we've made it for years, but the truth is it's a product of American Great Depression ingenuity. All the ingredients were easy and cheap to come by even during the dust bowl, which left most other crops devastated. Peanuts and potatoes tolerate and even replenish harsher soils' nutrients and powdered sugar is cheaper than pure sugar. Since those are all the ingredients needed, it was the ideal sweet for a bitter set of years.
A great hint: I make this in a food processor. It becomes a fast recipe to turn out!
Posted by: bec | September 22, 2010 at 03:04 PM
The post above is my exact same history, So it has to be right! Even down to the cherokee part! My family hails from Kentucky and all those parts fit esp since my grandparents made it during the depression...
Posted by: Kellie | December 25, 2010 at 03:17 PM
My grandmother, etc were Irish. (Great Grandmother form Ireland) I always thought that it was Irish. After all it was the Irish that grew a lot of potatoes and are known for The Potato Famine.
Posted by: Sherry | April 30, 2011 at 06:12 PM
My mother's family was also exact same descent as Bec posted so I agee with Kellie - this MUST be the true answer. I grew up making it with my Mom and I am now 51 years old. She also made a twist on the dough - she mixed in food coloring to make it green and and red for Christmas before rolling it out. Also, sometimes instead of rolling it out she would mix coconut into the dough, shape it into balls and dip it into melted dark chocolate - OMG - it was fantastic ! Homemade BonBons !
Posted by: Vicki | December 01, 2011 at 11:17 AM
We're French Canadian (Leblanc), with probable Acadian (or Cajun for Americans) origins.
It's been a Christmas tradition for at least 3-4 generations.
Posted by: Jheurf | December 01, 2011 at 08:22 PM
I know this is an old post, but I just ran across it today in my search for a "potato candy" recipe. I remember making this with my mom when I was in second grade for a school project. We were supposed to make a recipe of a food that came from wherever our ethnic background was (and then bring the dish and the recipe in to share with the class). My family is of German descent (who incidentally also eventually settled in the Pennsylvania Dutch area before my immediate family moved to Chicago before I was born...) and my mother told me this was a German recipe. I'm so glad I found this! It brings back great memories and I can't wait to try making it again!! :o)
Posted by: Susie | March 17, 2012 at 08:54 PM
Our family's version of potato candy does not include peanut butter like most recipes that I have found on the internet. My grandparents were also Pennsylvania Dutch (German). Our recipe includes 1 medium potato, 1 t. vanilla, 2 boxes confectioner's sugar and 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate. The potato is peeled and boiled until thoroughly cooked then mashed using a hand masher. Stir in vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar until mixture is almost too thick to stir. Chopped nuts are also a good addition. Roll some of the dough into log-type rolls onto a cookie sheet. Continue until all remaining dough has been used. Melt the chocolate and pour over each roll of dough. Also very festive is adding green or red food coloring to the dough. This is how I learned from my Mother to make potato candy during the 1950's.
Posted by: Cathy Weessies | December 02, 2012 at 07:55 PM
I am 61 years old and my German great grandmother taught me to make this candy. She said that the peanut butter was American. A Hungarian girlfriend of mine said that in Hungary when she was a girl thy made potato candy with different flavors and cut it into small squares or cubes, so this along with my great grandmother Minnie's story make me think that it originated possibly in Germany or eastern Europe. By the way my heritage is also English, Irish as well but the German side settled in Ohio.I know that Grandma Minnie's mother taught her to make the basic candy. This recipe for the peanut butter pinwheels was in the Whole Earth Catalog in the late 60's or early 70's. It was the first time I had seen it outside my family.
Posted by: cynthia tinnin | December 31, 2012 at 05:42 AM