Irish Potato Recipe

Every year my sister comes over to the house to make this special treat with the kids. It is the best kind of fun…messy fun! They are a sweet and yummy treat to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. I apologize, because I don't remember where the original recipe came from so I can't give anyone credit.

Ingredients

¼ cup butter, softened

½  (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 ½ cups flaked coconut

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cold cream cheese together until smooth. Add the vanilla and blend. Add confectioners' sugar one cup at a time; beat until smooth. Fold in coconut until well incorporated. Roll into balls or potato shapes, and roll in the cinnamon. Place onto a cookie sheet and chill to set. If desired, roll potatoes in cinnamon again for darker color.

Notes: Make sure you use the block cream cheese and not whipped kind. Also, don’t bother with the Less Fat stuff, it’s a celebration!  I usually pour the powdered sugar in a bowl and use a whisk to fluff it and get rid of any hard pieces. Sometimes we add less sugar and more coconut to cut the sweetness. Finally, if you have Italian DNA and are making this recipe, resist the urge to make them the size of meatballs. We have had that problem in the past 🙂 They should be a smaller, bite sized piece. Enjoy!