Ahh, research! What amazing things you find. Have you ever heard of potato candy? Apparently, women made it pretty regularly in the Depression from recipes brought over from Russian, Irish, and German immigrants in the 19th century who came through the Appalachian Mountains.
With only three ingredients, it was cheap to make and that was a definite plus.
Though a large portion of potatoes are used, it doesn’t have the potato taste. It consists of leftover mashed potatoes, powdered sugar and peanut butter. It’s rolled into a log and chilled. You don’t cook it. Just slice and serve.
The starches in the potatoes turn this into something smooth and creamy. Kinda like fudge or divinity.
Instructions: Boil a small, peeled potato cut into chunks until it’s very soft. Place into a bowl and mash until it’s smooth and no lumps. Next incorporate 4-6 cups of Powdered Sugar into the mixture. It’ll be very sticky at first but get thicker as you go and wind up the consistency of cookie dough. Then roll out on a piece of wax paper and spread it with either peanut butter, Nutella, chocolate or any other filling you want. Roll into a log and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Slice and serve.
Some cooks like to add a teaspoon of vanilla to the mashed potatoes before the powdered sugar. Your choice. And some people prefer to roll into balls and dip in melted chocolate! Wow.
But, I hear your minds turning. How did those early setters get powered sugar?
The answer is they made it themselves. They blended regular sugar with corn starch and sifted. The ratio is one tablespoon corn starch with one cup of sugar.
Modern cooks use a food processor or any other high-powered mixer and it’s much easier and faster than hand sifting.
I had never heard of this until a writer friend mentioned that her mother used to make when she was a kid. I don’t think my mom ever knew about this or she would’ve made it. She liked to experiment and made us mayonnaise cakes, Coca Cola cakes, 7-UP cakes and anything unusual. She had a huge sweet tooth.
There’s also Potato Fudge. I image the list goes on.
What is the most fun and interesting thing on any subject that you discovered, present or past?
Now shifting gears….
Courting Miss Emma is coming out on November 7 and I made a book trailer for it. I’m so proud of myself. Usually I have to get my sister’s help. Not this time.
A little about this second book in the Hangman’s Daughters series. Emma Taggart has been run of town and told not to return simply because of her father’s occupation. She’s 26 years old and never been courted once so she’s resigned to living out her life as a spinster. But a new neighbor moves next door to the orphanage she runs and her life begins to change. Stone Landry has just mustered out of the Frontier Army and has brought a pair of camels he rescued. It’ll take both of them joining forces to defeat the man determined to take their land.
So, I hope you watch the short video and preorder the book. Please Note: It’ll only be out in ebook form until March when Severn House Publishing will release it in trade size print.
FOR AN EXCERPT AND OTHER INFORMATION 
ALSO, for a FREE SHORT story
Thanks for spending time with me. Hope you enjoyed it.
Linda
