Classic Potato Candy

…and it’s that time of the year again! 🙂  For many of you around the world, the long week end of the St-Jean Baptiste might be something you never heard of but here is Quebec, it’s a national holiday and it’s this week end! yoohoo!  On June 24, everybody in the province of Quebec is going to take it easy and relax because they are going to be on vacation and hopefully remember why we celebrate this holiday.  What will most probably be the reason of this relaxing mood, will be because the day before, they partied like CRAZY and they are super hung over LOL … That’s probably what I’m gonna be doing anyways 😛

To celebrate this long week end and our national holiday, I thought a classic Quebec recipe was in order…  Now to be honest, I had problems choosing witch one I was going to share with you because there is a LOT of delicious and easy recipes that have been invented here (but again, I’m from Quebec so I’m sure everybody says the same thing from their roots).

…since it’s for a celebration, why not sharing a sweet candy recipe right?!  Plus Max had never tasted potato candy before and I thought it was the perfect occasion to make him taste this easy and decadent desert or snack.  If you have a sweet tooth, these are for you but watch out because the recipe I’m giving you is making 40+ candy!

The potato candy was first invented back at the beginning of the colonization in Quebec and like many other recipes of that era, they were made around 3 basic ingredients (potatoes, ground beef and carrots) because they were easy to found around that time.  Good thing our gran-gran-gran-gran mothers had a lot of imagination because during the holiday, most people were too pore to buy candies for their kids so instead, they tried to make some with what they had around the kitchen and this is how the potato candy was born.  Pretty sweet story right?

I remember my sister and I being so anxious while looking at my mom preparing these candy once in a while.  It really was a special treat that we didn’t see often so it made them so special.  Because of the insane amount of sugar content, it’s not something you want to be making every weeks but everybody needs a treat once in a while!

Hope you enjoy this classic Quebec recipe and don’t forget to visit the Quebec category on the side bar to check out other classic Quebec goodness 🙂  Bon appetit!

– INGREDIENTS –

1 cup of mash potatoes (I used Russel potatoes – no butter, no milk or anything else in the mashed potatoes)

5 1/2 cup of confectionery sugar

1/2 +1/4 cup or more of smooth peanut butter

(Makes 40+ candies)

Ok this is bobo easy… you’ll see…

1- Cut 2 decent length wax paper sheet, reserve.

2- In a mixing bowl, slowly mix together the mash potatoes and the sugar.  The mixture will look very “liquidy” at first but the more confectionery sugar you’ll be adding, the harder the mixture will become.

3- Sprinkle some extra confectionery sugar on your waxed paper and make a thin layer of potato/sugar mixture on it.  About 1/4 of an inches… but you can go between 3/8 and 1/4 of an inches and you’ll be fine.

4- Then spread a nice layer of peanut butter on top and roll it!  Once it’s rolled, wrap your candy roll in the waxed paper and put it in the fridge for a few hours till it get hard enough so you can slice each candy without breaking the whole thing.

Keep in the fridge at all time, last for a few weeks 🙂  Enjoy!