Many of us are used to seeing this rolled candy around the holidays, but if you aren’t, it may appear strange. Potatoes? In candies? We are aware. But we guarantee it works. The potato acts as a binder in the dough, and the end result does not taste like potatoes at all. It’s just a soft, sweet (like, really sweet), no-bake candy that’s brilliant in its inventiveness.

Some say the recipe was brought to the US from Germany, where it was common frugal practice to come up with inventive uses for leftover mashed potatoes. Others claim it’s an Irish dish. Some call them Pennsylvania Dutch. Some say Russian… you get the idea. What is certain is that it became popular in the United States during the Great Depression. During a time of great scarcity, potatoes and peanuts were plentiful and inexpensive,

and powdered sugar was less expensive than regular granulated sugar. When food was scarce, this candy ensured that people could still enjoy a tasty treat. Because the candy is nearly impossible to resist, the recipe has survived years when people only had a little and years when people had a lot. It’s tender and slightly chewy, sweet as can be, nostalgic, and ridiculously simple to make.

You don’t have to be a candy maker to make this. Begin by combining some mashed potatoes with a little vanilla and milk in a mixing bowl. (When there wasn’t much to go around, the milk and vanilla weren’t included, so you could even leave those out.) You mix those until smooth…And then add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you have a thick dough. Consider it thicker than cookie dough.

You roll it out into a rough rectangle before trimming it into a better rectangle. (It doesn’t have to be perfect; ours isn’t.) Next, spread it thinly with creamy peanut butter. If you prefer, you could substitute chocolate spread or cookie butter. And then you roll it up tightly, long side to long side…And wrap it in parchment paper before placing it in the freezer for an hour to chill.

It’s perfect candy for the holiday season because it’s easy to love and make. (Those little peanut butter spirals are also very pretty.) It’s right at home alongside fudge or divinity, but far more reliable, even for the inexperienced cook. They’re a lovely little candy, sweet but with a subtly salty bite of peanut butter. If they haven’t been a part of your holiday tradition, now is the time to start.