How To Make Irish Potatoes

Learn how to make Irish potatoes and impress company next time you have a dinner party.  The Irish potato famine was a country wide starvation in Ireland caused by a potato disease, but these sweet and delicious Irish Potato candies won’t leave anyone hungry. Named for their amazing resemblance to a potatoes, they don’t actually taste a thing like the popular starch. Serve them at your next St. Patrick’s day get together or just for a pleasant gathering with your friends or girlfriend. This recipe is for larger groups, so if your not expecting a crowd, feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients you will need to prepare Irish Potatoes:

• One stick of butter, softened
• One to Eight oz package of regular cream cheese, softened
• Two teaspoons vanilla extract
• Four cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• Four tablespoons ground cinnamon

1. Mix together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl.
2. Once well blended, add in vanilla and sugar and beat until the mixture becomes very thick.
3. Add the coconut to the bowl, and using a wooden spoon, fold the coconut into the mixture.
4. Using your hands, form the batter into small oval (potato shaped) candies.
5. Pour the cinnamon into a sealable plastic bag.
6. One by one, add the Irish potato candies to the bag and shake to coat each piece with cinnamon.
7. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.
8. Set each completed Irish Potato on the cookie sheet, leaving a little space in between each one.
9. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator to harden for at least one hour before serving.
10. Immediately before serving your Irish Potatoes, dust each candy with additional cinnamon.