Needham Bars Or Potato Candy Recipes

MAINE POTATO CANDY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Line a 9-in. square pan with foil; butter the foil. Spread coconut mixture into pan. Cover and chill overnight. Cut into 2x1-in. rectangles. Cover and freeze. , In a microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip bars in coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper to set. Store in an airtight container.

NEEDHAM BARS OR POTATO CANDY

Steps:

• Mix first six ingredients well.
• Place into a 9x13 pan and pat down until smooth.
• Place in refrigerator until firm.
• Cut into 24 squares.
• Melt chocolate/wax in a double boiler.
• Dip each square into melted chocolate (I use a toothpick).
• Place on waxed paper to harden.
• Store in airtight container.

NEEDHAMS

Steps:

• Put the confectioners' sugar in a large heatproof bowl; make a deep well in the middle. Add the mashed potatoes, butter, vanilla and salt to the well. Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Starting in the center of the well, stir the ingredients, gradually incorporating the sugar, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture forms a smooth paste, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the coconut. Transfer to the freezer and chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Roll tablespoonfuls of the potato mixture into balls, then flatten each ball into a small square using your fingers (you should have about 40 squares). Put the squares on a large plate or baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny-side up. Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until the chocolate melts. Add the shortening and stir vigorously until glossy, about 2 minutes. Transfer half of the chocolate to a glass liquid measuring cup. One at a time, place each candy square on a fork and dip in the melted chocolate to coat; let the excess drip back into the cup. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining squares, refilling the cup with melted chocolate as needed. Let the candies harden at room temperature, about 1 hour. Photograph by Charles Masters

TRADITIONAL MAINE NEEDHAMS

Steps:

• Cook potatoes unseasoned, then mash to
• make 3/4 cup.
• Combine salt, potatoes, melted butter, confectioner's sugar, flaked
• coconut and vanilla in a mixer until smooth and well blended.
• Turn into a lined jelly roll pan.Spread evenly (mixture will be very thick), then.
• place in refrigerator to harden (24 hours).
• Cut into small squares and dip in chocolate coating.
• For coating: melt paraffin and semi-sweet chocolate at the top of a double boiler.
• Turn down heat and add chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate has melted but mixture is still slightly thick. Keeping heat low to maintain melt, dip Needhams to coat. Place dipped squares on wax paper to cool. Needhams will keep very well for a long time refrigerated and will
• actually improve in flavor over a few weeks.

MASHED POTATO CANDY

Steps:

• Place sugar, salt, coconut in bowl with softened butter.
• Add potatoes and vanilla and mix well by hand.
• Pack mixture into 9 x 13 pan.
• Cool in fridge.
• Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares.
• Melt chocolate, chocolate chips and paraffin wax -- stirring til no lumps appear. (ALWAYS exercise caution when heating paraffin -- I use a large well washed tin can and put it in the double boiler).
• Using a toothpick, dip the squares in melted chocolate and place on waxed paper to set.

NEEDHAMS

Steps:

• Cook the potato in water.
• While the potato is still warm,mash it and stir in the sugar and vanilla.
• Mix well and then add the coconut.
• Press mixture into a buttered pan.
• Cool and cut into squares.
• Dip the squares into melted chocolate and place on waxed paper to set.

OLD AMISH POTATO CANDY

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl combine potatoes, butter, cocoa, and vanilla.
• Gradually blend in sugar, then coconut.
• Knead until completely mixed.
• Shape into one-inch balls and press a pecan into the center of each.
• Wrap in foil and store in airtight container.

MAINE NEEDHAMS

Steps:

• Pare, cook, and mash potato to make three-quarters of a cup.
• Add salt.
• Using double boiler place butter in it and melt over boiling water.
• Add mashed potato, confectioners sugar, flaked coconut, and vanilla.
• Mix well and turn into a buttered jelly roll pan and spread evenly.
• Place in a cool place to harden.
• When hard, cut into small squares.
• For the dipping chocolate, again use a double boiler.
• Place paraffin in the top over boiling water to melt.
• Then add the two kinds of chocolate and allow to melt.
• Stir well to mix ingredients.
• Dip in the chocolate mixture (with a fork, toothpick, or cake tester--I use a fork and put the square on top of the tines and dip it, letting the excess chocolate drip off before I lay it on the waxed paper).
• Hold each square over the chocolate mixture after dipping so the square drains well (I usually will have to reheat the chocolate inbetween dippings so it is nice and thin and drips of easily).
• Place on waxed paper to harden.
• Should make about 66 good sized needhams.
• This halves easily.

YAM CANDY (AKA) SWEET POTATO CANDY

Steps:

• Bake sweet potato as you would a plain potato.
• When done use only insides of potato.
• Measure out 1 1/2 potato let cool completely.
• In a bowl Sift sugar, mix well with margarine, milk , cinnamon, almond extract, vanilla extract and cooled sweet potato.
• Knead until smooth with your hands until mixed well.
• Add coconut.
• Shape into balls about 1 1/2 inches round.
• Dust with powdered sugar.
• Refrigerate.
• makes around 25-30 balls.