Here's the Damn Recipe

To be clear, the recipes on this blog are not going to be step by step, walk you through, pic-of-every-addition style. I am sharing the recipes that I have created myself – originally based on something else, but tested and modified very heavily through years of baking.

If you are a new baker or not familiar with how to put together recipes, I would highly suggest working your way through a good cookbook. BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts by Stella Parks is wonderful, try the Snickerdoodles. Or find a baking blog you like and make a few basic recipes – Smitten Kitchen is great, try their Caramel Cake. Kitchen Treaty, Brown Eyed Baker, and Serious Eats are also reliably good.

Most of my recipes use metric weighed measurements. I find it much easier to simply dump ingredients in a bowl rather than measuring per cup, etc. I use this one. OXO 1130800 Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display, 11-Pound,Silver
I like that the display pops our for easy cleaning/changing batteries. It is a bit pricey, but I use mine daily for making coffee in a chemex, baking, cooking, etc., and have had the same one for over 7 years. I’ll post links to other things that I find useful in recipes, but if I miss something, just ask.

The recipes on this blog are all my own. I won’t just post something that someone else made – these are all coming from my recipe books, which look like the manifesto of a mad scientist because of all the crossings-outs and scribbles and doodles. I won’t post something that I don’t want out in the world, so please make, link, share, and bake for friends and family.

Really, I’m not using a fancy camera or setup or filters or lights or whatever else. If the pic looks good, thank the auto settings on my phone.

I am using Amazon Affiliate links, because why not?

I haven’t really run a blog for a long time. If you have questions please ask.

Makes 150, depending on size. If you are quarantined, probably want to halve or quarter this recipe. I am a huge fan of sharing baked goods BUT DON’T DO IT DURING QUARANTINE. Wash your hands.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 t. vanilla
8 c. 10x sugar
5 c. flaked coconut (unsweetened if possible) – 1 lb. bulk
Ground Cinnamon
Cocoa Powder (optional)

IN MIXER: Cream butter & cream cheese extremely well. Mix in vanilla. Mix in sugar & coconut in batches, letting fully combine between additions.

With dry hands, roll into small balls about the size of a shooter marble or to your preference, slightly squeeze to make potato shaped, then roll in cinnamon. Let dry for at least 4 hours, then put into containers.

OPTIONAL: Roll some in cocoa powder instead of cinnamon.

SECOND OPTION: Add some chili/cayenne pepper to the cocoa powder. Makes for a Mexican-Irish Potato.

NOTE: Irish Potatoes are a Philly area treat, so if you haven’t had one, this is a candy, not dinner. The high amount of sugar acts as a preservative to the butter and cream cheese, don’t worry about leaving them out for a few days. I’m fairly sure they made all the Irish Potatoes ever back in 1960 and are just selling the backlog every year.

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