It’s St. Patrick’s day and I couldn’t be more excited! My mother is Irish and St. Patrick’s day was always a BIG deal in our house.  It was all about the corn beef and cabbage and the Irish Potatoes! If you don’t know what an Irish Potato is, it’s a sweet treat of coconut, powdered sugar, and cream cheese coated with cinnamon, to make it look like a potato.  I love coconut so the Irish potatoes were one of my favorites and still are! I only make this sweet treat once a year, and the first year I celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with my husband I introduced him to the Irish Potato and he’s now hooked! I don’t know about you but having foods that connect me to different celebrations and times of the year, really makes certain foods special.

My mom would make what seemed like a million balls the day before St. Patrick’s day and I would help her roll them all perfectly.  But of course the real reason I helped her was because then I could sneak a few for myself! Because isn’t that the only reason we all help our parents in the kitchen?

 

Because this is such a great memory and special time with my mom, I thought what better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s day then to share this sweet treat with you! The best part, it’s no bake, and even though you might not like coconut, I guarantee you will like these.  I’ve tested them on many non-coconut eaters!

 

Happy St. Patrick’s day! I hope your day is filled with lots of luck of the Irish and green beer—the part of the celebration I discovered when I went to college J.

 

Irish Potato Candy – Recipe from SimplyWhisked.com

Prep Time: 45 Minutes  Serves: 4 Dozen

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (1/2 package)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 – 1½ tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions

• 1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla.
• 2. Slowly add powdered sugar and continue mixing to incorporate – scraping sides when necessary.
• 3. Add coconut and continue to mix until combined.
• 4. Roll mixture into tablespoon-size balls.
• 5. Roll each piece cinnamon to coat.
• 6. Once coated, roll candies into a potato shape – if desired.
• 7. Set on a parchment or foil lined cookie sheet and chill until set.
• 8. Store candies in refrigerator until ready to serve.