Irish Potato Candy

Have you ever heard of such a thing as Irish Potato Candy?

I’m using this Irish Potato Candy recipe as a part of my St. Patrick’s Day series, but I believe it originated as a Pennsylvania Dutch or Amish recipe. A few years ago, I travelled to Philadelphia for a work conference and stayed with my college friend, Ralph. Ralph is a native Pittsburgher, much like myself, so we weren’t as knowledgeable about the western part of the state and their food traditions.

When we got to a certain storefront, Ralph urged me to try this chocolate-covered truffle. I did, and it was delicious. It had a sweet, fluffy white centre - kind of like a fluffier mounds bar. He exclaimed, “It’s potatoes!” From then on, I always thought it was a creative and yummy way to use potatoes. I bet sweet potatoes would work well too!

I “healthed up” these potato candy treats; traditionally, they often have tons of powdered sugar in them. My Irish Potato Candy recipe uses maple syrup to sweeten it up. In that way, it sacrifices a bit of the fluffiness, but overall it’s a bit better for you. The finely shredded coconut adds a bit of texture and fluff to the candy.