This vintage recipe was clipped from a newspaper and found in a large collection, date unknown but I believe this is from the 1960’s or so. Recipe is typed below along with a scanned copy.

MRS. ANDREW STEIDL of Medina wrote, “My children and I have had great fun making potato candy. They’re actually called ‘Candy Sculptures’ and we just let our imagination go wild.” The Steidl family uses this basic recipe and from it mold and tint lemons, apples, plums, bananas and oranges.

Candy Sculptures

1/2 cup hot mashed potato
2 tsps. soft butter or margarine
few grains salt
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
4 1/2 cups (about) sifted confectioners’ sugar

Mix hot potatoes, butter, salt, almonds, vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually add sugar, stirring until thick. Knead mixture with hands, working in more sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, until candy is no longer sticky. Pull off small rounds of dough and shape into fruits and vegetables about 1 or 2-inch length. No molds are necessary. Let stand about 2 hours before tinting.

To color, dilute few drops of food coloring into water and apply with brush. Use whole cloves for stems and leaves made from green paper.