Irish Potatoes

[PrincessShmoo]

There are different ways to make them, and most contain cream cheese, powdered sugar, coconut, vanilla extract, sometimes butter. They're rolled in cinnamon to resemble tiny potatoes.

Sounds interesting, but you lost me at "coconut".

 

[DopeyDame]

Another Philly girl here! I just assumed everyone made Irish Potato’s every year and then I went to college in the Midwest and people thought I was crazy! I adore them, and in my covid-19 shopping spree made sure I had the ingredients to make them this week!
im not at home right now but will post the perfect recipe in a few hours.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I'm Irish, born in Dublin, Ireland and live in Dublin, Ireland never heard of them. They must be an American Irish product, for the American market.

 

[L&Lfan]

Wiki says they’re a Philadelphia confectionary tradition. There’s a version, however, made in San Francisco that substitutes crushed walnuts for the coconut.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I've always heard of them. They're OK, but I could take 'em or leave 'em.

 

[lynxstch]

I grew up in the South but never heard of or saw Irish potatoes until I moved to the Northeast in the early ‘80s. I can take them or leave them which means I like them, but not enough to buy or make them for myself. I haven’t had any in several years.

To the bolded,,lol..I was born and raised in New England , lived there most of my life, and have never seen or heard of them until the DIS post yesterday!

 

[Minnie1222]

Another New Englander here that has never heard of Irish Potatoes or Tasty Kakes. I'm sad. They sound delicious.

 

[L&Lfan]

To the bolded,,lol..I was born and raised in New England , lived there most of my life, and have never seen or heard of them until the DIS post yesterday!

I should have been more specific.... I never heard of Irish potato candy until I moved to south Jersey outside Philadelphia. When I lived in Massachusetts I never saw them either.

 

[L&Lfan]

Another New Englander here that has never heard of Irish Potatoes or Tasty Kakes. I'm sad. They sound delicious.

In New England, the snack cakes are Drake’s, right?

 

[DopeyDame]

I'm Irish, born in Dublin, Ireland and live in Dublin, Ireland never heard of them. They must be an American Irish product, for the American market.

Not just American Irish, but specifically Philadelphia Irish. Some day I'd love to do a research paper on these little bites of deliciousness!

 

[DopeyDame]

And here it is....
Irish Potatoes, recipe from an amazing Kindergarten teacher in the early 80s in suburban Philadelphia. It's the stuff of legends:

1 stick of margarine (again, recipe is from the early 80s Butter works, but if it will be sitting out all day on a classroom shelf, margarine is safer)
1 box of confectioners sugar
1 3-ounce package Philly Cream Cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 7-ounce box of coconut
Cinnamon

Mix margarine/butter and cream cheese
Add sugar, vanilla, and coconut
Roll into little balls (maybe 1" diameter, but that's personal preference)
Put cinnamon in a ziplock bag
Shake balls one or two at a time in the cinnamon bag

Makes about 4 dozen

Enjoy!

 

[DuskKodesh]

Heard of them here, never got to try them. All the Irish people in my community usually made these:

 

[hmsTigger]

What are those? Look like German nut roll?

 

[DuskKodesh]

What are those? Look like German nut roll?

Mashed potato candy. They have peanut butter in them and are mostly just potato and powdered sugar. As a little goblin I was not fond of them but I've seen them at every local festival and bake sale for nearly all my life. Southern Ohioan here.

 

[Tinkerbell58]

Sometimes I'll make Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick's Day.

 

[jormom1030]

From Northern PA and now live 1 1/2 from Philly and never heard of these.

 

[billlaurie]

I'm from Baltimore and my Aunt makes them. I forget what she calls them but not Irish Potatoes. Personally I find them way too sweet.

Same region and my mother used to make them but she called them something else, which I can't recall either. I always found them too sweet for my liking as well.

 

[amcnj]

The boxed store bought ones are OK at best. At least once you have had freshly made ones. The recipe I have is similar to the one above, using cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar, coconut and vanilla, and then coated in cinnamon.

Just made soda bread yesterday from a recipe given to me about thirty years ago from a co-worker who was born in Ireland. She was only there a short time, but luckily that timeframe included March 17, and she brought one into work. It was the best I ever had. I continued to make it every year since then, usually two of them, as I continued the tradition of bringing one to work.

 

[Walt's Dream]

All I'm gonna say is...See's Candy Potatoes. Divinity, rolled in cocoa powder and cinnamon and pine nuts placed for the eyes. They sell out very quickly. 'Nuff said.

 

[BillSears]

Same region and my mother used to make them but she called them something else, which I can't recall either. I always found them too sweet for my liking as well.

I think she calls them sweet potato candies. She's from South Baltimore.