Sealed with a Kiss: Potato Kisses Recipe

You may not know this, but during the Great Depression, when many ingredients were scarce, an unexpected ingredient had a bit of a heyday in the world of confectionery: the Potato! 

And I don't mean lumpy but delicious baked goods or candy bars named after their resemblance to the potato. I mean treats made with actual potatoes--usually mashed, and added (I imagine) as a sort of flour substitute / body-builder, and as an absorber of other flavors around it.

While the potato's period of vogue as a component of confectionery seems to have faded, it was fun to make this recipe for Potato Kisses; this is the traditional recipe, but for next week's Serious Eats post, I am going to do a modern-day (and in my opinion, more delicious!) version.

I found this recipe in Who Wants Candy? by Jane Sharrock, where she says "once quite popular as an after-dinner treat with our grandparents and great-grandparents, potato candies are now ssomewhat of a novelty, with only a handful of lucky people knowing how delicious they can be." The book also includes recipes for Wacky Potato Fudge and Potato fondant.

Potato Kisses

• 1/2 cup unseasoned hot mashed potatoes
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 1/2 ounces sweetened flaked coconut

Procedure

1. Cover a countertop area or large baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes and butter, mixing well. Gradually add the sugar, blending until smooth. Stir in the almond extract and coconut; drop by spoonfuls on to the paper. Store in an airtight container.

Comments

[prettylittlepixie]

My Grandma actually taught me this recipe about 20 years ago! She grew up in the depression era in the South. She was desperate for any type of "treat" and her mother made them. I don't remember them being so tasty, but she added little girl appeal with pink food coloring!