Lifestyle

Potato Candy

By Elizabeth Layman at University of California – Berkeley

Three comfort foods. One recipe. Meet Potato Candy, the cutest little finger food recipe you’ll ever make and the reason Pharrell Williams wrote the song “Happy.” (Not really, but it should’ve been.)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: about 20 pieces of candy

Ingredients:
1 medium sized potato, peeled and halved
4 cups powdered sugar, plus plenty extra
2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter
½ tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:
1. In a medium-sized pot, cook potato in water until tender. Drain and let cool.
Tip: If you can insert a fork into the potato easily, it’s ready.

2. Place potato in a medium sized bowl and mash with a fork or a potato masher. Beat in powdered sugar (and vanilla extract, if desired).

3. The goal is a dough that can be rolled out, so check the consistency and add more sugar, if needed. (I added 2 more cups.)

4. Sprinkle extra sugar on a piece of wax paper and on the rolling pin to prevent sticking. Roll out dough until it is about ¼-inch thick.

5. Spread peanut butter on top. Roll up like a yoga mat and cut into slices about ½-inch thick.

Note: You may refrigerate any extra candies.

Sweetness Warning: Because Potato Candy is really sweet (like Southern Belle sweet), you might want to cut each candy in half (if it’s large like mine) before eating or serving.

Thank yous:

• Recipe in remembrance of Freda V. Smith.
• Also, a big thanks to my Grandma Lois for walking me through the recipe and for adding a whole lot of love into every care package she’s sent me and every meal she’s cooked for me.