it has what in it??

this is a candy that i make maybe once every year or two. it is terribly sweet and only good when eaten in small amounts. you can keep it well wrapped in the freezer to take out every now and again when you get the urge. the best part of all is that it is basically a no-cook recipe.

it contains potato, of all things, and is remniscent of a very old type of confection which is rolled with peanut butter in the center like a sort of pinwheel and then sliced. this is popular in some places here in quebec and is a type of old world candy. the version i am showing here however is a more modernized one and quite different.

i also make this at passover when we are limited to very few baking ingredients due to the many restrictions of the holiday. luckily, there is now a passover version of icing sugar available with contains potato starch instead of cornstarch [which we cannot use].

note that i doubled the recipe and used vanilla [the person i made it for doesn't like peppermint!] at the time i made and photographed this. the recipe below is for the regular smaller amount.

peppermint & lime coconut fudge

ingredients:

1/4 c cold mashed potato
1 1/2 c or more icing sugar
1/2 - 3/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 - 1 1/2 c unsweetened dried coconut shreds
1 tbsp lime zest

1/2 of a 300g bag chocolate chips
1 tbsp vegetable oil

you will need a large loaf pan. pyrex is preferable.

method:

boil small potato and mash it well while warm and let cool. do not use a food processor.

using a fine meshed strainer, push the potato through it. you do not want little chunks of potato.

put it in a medium bowl and add the peppermint extract and the lime zest.

now add 1/2 c of the icing sugar. it will turn liquidy. as you add more it will turn white.

add the rest (or enough) of the icing sugar until you get a very thick fondant like mixture.

add the coconut and stir well until it is well mixed.

you should get a ball. if it does not form a ball either add a bit more coconut or icing sugar. it should be hard to stir which is what you want.

press this into a large loaf pan to get an even layer. and put this in the refrigerator.

in the microwave on medium low to medium heat, melt the chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl. be careful to do it in 30 second intervals. mix with a spatula until all is melted. make sure absolutely no water comes in contact with the chocolate or it will seize and you can say goodbye to it. mix in the oil and stir well.

remove the pan from the fridge and pour on the melted chocolate. make an even layer and return it to the fridge.

carefully cut the candy into small pieces. it is much easier to cut successfully when cold. actually, let me correct myself by saying that you should score it into which serving sizes you want when cold and then after it has sat out for a bit and softened, then cut it. use a very sharp knife.

these can also be shaped into balls and dipped in the melted chocolate and placed on parchment to set. use double the amount of chocolate to coat them.

here is another recipe for a similar version making these into small small candies.

check out tschoerda's success with the recipe in her blog, dinner for one. glad you now found a way to simulate your favourite treat, tschoerda!

enjoy in small amounts and then call the dentist :-)