Where did the candy Irish potato originate from?

Answer 1

I first ate potato candy circa 1966 at the Pennsylvania Dutch Fair in Lancaster, PA. I have a recipe for it in an old PA Dutch cookbook. My 'dutch' mother used to tell me it was the old German's way of not wasting leftover potatoes. So I'm assuming it's German. It's Pennsylvania Dutch. My 'dutch' mother said it was a thirty German's way of using leftover potatoes. Here's the recipe from The New Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book Copyright 1958, submitted by Mrs. Elwood Shaub 1 baked potato Confectioners' sugar Vanilla Melted chocolate As soon as the potato is baked, warm a mixing bowl and scoop the potato from its skin. MASH and add confectioners' sugar, stirring and adding until mixture can be kneaded with the hands. Knead well, keeping warm, add vanilla and form into small balls. Dip quickly into melted chocolate kept warm over hot water and drop on waxed paper. Or shape like Easter eggs and dip. Potato balls can be flattened and topped with English walnut halves, the mixture can be used to stuff dates, which are then rolled in sugar, or it can be rolled out like dough, spread with peanut butter, rolled up and sliced, then dipped in coconut. I find that if you follow this you will have a large bowl of mush!! I recommend you start with a very small amount of potato and mix in the Confectioners' sugar. I never bother with the vanilla or the kneading, I just take the potato/sugar mix, make a ball of it and roll it out on a Confectioners' sugared surface, about a 1/4" thick. Then I spread creamy peanut butter on it and roll this into a tube. Before it hardens I slice this into 1/4" pieces. This will harden nicely. Very delicious. A second generation PA Dutch New England transplant, SB.

Answer 2

From what I have read it comes from Philadelphia PA.