A unique potato candy made with a mashed potato and coconut center, needhams, aka “Maine Potato Candy,” are a fun candy treat. To learn more history of needhams, head on over to the full Yankee feature (The Need for Needhams | Recipe with a History), but if you’re hoping to make a homemade batch and want to know HOW to make needhams, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ll link to the full recipe at the bottom of the post.
Needhams, the favorite old-fashioned potato candy from Maine! Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
How to Make Needhams Potato Candy | Step-by-Step
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer, place the confectioners’ sugar, warm mashed potato (just to clarify, you should be using plain mashed potatoes with no milk or butter added), melted butter, coconut, vanilla, and salt. Mix on low speed (mixture will be very dry at first) until a thick paste forms, then increase speed for 30 seconds, or until all of the sugar is completely incorporated.
Mixing the coconut and potato base.
Transfer the mixture to a buttered, rimmed baking sheet (we prefer a jelly roll pan, but a 9×13-inch pan would also work) and press down evenly. Allow it to set and firm up at room temperature, about an hour, and then cut into small, even squares.
Needhams cut into squares and ready for dipping. Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until smooth, then remove from heat and add the shortening, stirring vigorously until shiny. Using a fork, place each square onto the tines and lower into the chocolate until coated, then lift and allow the excess to drip back into the bowl.
Practice makes perfect when dipping chocolate. Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Transfer the square to a sheet of parchment to harden, about an hour. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days for best flavor and appearance.
Dipped and ready for cooling, then eating! Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Have you ever made a batch of needhams potato candy? If not, now is the perfect time to try!
In the next “Yankee Seeker Meets Yankee Archives” we’ll be tackling a favorite summer fruit combination, so stay tuned!
This post was first published in 2015 and has been updated.
As Digital Editor of New England.com, Aimee writes, manages, and promotes content for NewEngland.com and its social media channels. Before this role, she served as assistant, then associate, editor for Yankee Magazine and YankeeMagazine.com, where she was nominated for a City and Regional Magazine Association award for Best Blog. A lifelong New Englander, Aimee loves history, the New Hampshire seacoast, and a good Massachusetts South Shore bar pizza.
