Autumn Yummies: Maple Cupcakes and Potato Candies

October 17, 2006

by IsaChandra

Maple cupcakes with candied walnuts are perfect for fall. Here is mine all dolled up and ready to go to the New Jersey Vegtoberfest picnic. Does everyone have plates shaped like leaves? It seems like the entirety of the internet has the exact same plates as me.

Maple Cupcakes
While there I discovered a non-cupcake object (NCO) that was so luscious that I have to post about it. They’re called “Potato Candy” but really they taste just like macaroons, you would never guess that there was potato in it. They were brought by Debya who apparently got the recipe years ago from Emiko at Food Fight.

Potato Candy

? 3/4 cup mashed potatoes — cold
? 4 cups confectioner’s sugar (make your own confectioner’s/powdered sugar: 1 cup raw sugar + ? cup cornstarch in yo’ food processor)
? 4 cups shredded, not sweetened coconut
? 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
? 1/2 teaspoon salt
? 4 squares baking chocolate (sweet or semisweet)

Mix potatoes and confectioner’s sugar. Stir in coconut, vanilla and salt. Blend well. Press into one large or two small pans, so candy will be 1/2 inch thick. Melt chocolate over hot water, do not let water boil. Pour chocolate on top of candy, cool and cut in squares. For variations, make haystacks by forming white mixture into cones 1 inch high. Allow to stand uncovered for 20 minutes. Dip base of each cone in melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper until chocolate hardens. Yields about 100 haystacks (I gave up after 60).

5 Comments

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October 17, 2006 at 2:16 pm: supercarrot
i don’t have those leaf plates (although i would love to have them. they’re adorable) but i do have a big plate that looks like leaves of iceberg lettuce. (and a little lettuce dip cup too.) i think it was hand-made.
October 18, 2006 at 9:14 am: Harmonia
What a neat idea! Looks like I have some catching up to do on posts! ;)
October 18, 2006 at 12:14 pm: Christina
Do you use leftover mashed potatoes that have soymilk, salt and earth balance in them or just completely plain mashed potatoes?
October 18, 2006 at 6:19 pm: isachandra
Christina, I would think it is just plain mashed potatoes.
November 11, 2006 at 1:31 pm: Rosie
This candy is popular in Maine and is known as Irish Potato Candy. It is generally shaped into a flattened oblong, like a potato, and served on St. Patty’s Day! You can get it year ’round at some coffee shops and bakeries.

In other places I’ve seen Irish Potato Candy made w/cream cheese or peanut butter, so check before you buy.