1797's Most Unusual Potato Cakes! - 18th Century Cooking
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- Опубликовано: 1 фев 2025
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My great grandma who grew up in the depression used leftover mashed potatoes in her sweets, and potato cookies were great grandpa's favourite dessert.
Potato candy was the best. My great grandma made it for us. The best I remember, it was like an almond joy.
Potato cookies sound nice. I can see these working.
@@countrystyle5076 my gram made potato candy all the time. Mint and chocolate were my favorites.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Potato is amazing for sweets. It’s just starch and it high jacks whatever flavor you put with it. See “Chocolate Potato Cake” by that tiktok guy.
I usually never comment but this is basically the bob ross of cooking and i just want to thank everyone behind these videos sooo muuchhh for making them they bring me such a peaceful feeling
Just bake the devil out of it... Although John doesn't have a catchphrase per say, I'm sure it would include nutmeg.
Second this comment! Most things make me angry these days. But this good bunch is always soothing. Love the channel.
@@Lefiath I'd say the catchphrase is "nutmeg"
Agree. Always expecting a comment about "adding a happy little nutmeg here" to show up in the video...
I agree!!!
This is the most beautifully wholesome channel... it gets me through these strange times we are currently in... thank you 😊
In my country (Czechia) we do sweet potato pancakes (completely different animal than our very popular savory ones with garlic), we toast them in a dry pan till they slighly blister (originally it was done directly on stovetop) and eat them with plum jam (povidla). Heaven!
Something similar here in Poland. With powidła too, but more often heaps of smetana and sugar
wow thank you for sharing that! It sounds really exciting.
would you have the recipe? I'm really interested in those to try at home. As well as the garlic ones!
@@ShiryuCain the garlic ones Are made from finely grated unboiled potatoes, preferably starchy ones. About two pounds or 1kg of them, peeled, grated (And I usually salt them and squeeze the Water from the grated spuds too). These Are then mixed with 2-3 eggs, about a cup of flour (00 preferably), salt, marjorie, crushed garlic (to Taste) And pepper. Mix all together into semi stiff paste. Fry in pig far until golden brown.
Oh yum, I just made plum jam for the first time this year and it has quickly become my favorite!
Potatoes are a neutral type of starch, so why not? I'd serve those with some strawberry or blueberry jam. They look good. Cheers!
Hey, Dwayne: we like STRAWBERRY jam with potato scones. I have to try THIS RECIPE with a good Moscato Italian dessert wine and melted butter!
Yes...Jam!
@@jamesellsworth9673 I was wondering what kind of wine to use. Moscato sounds like it could give both the cakes and the sauce some real flavor.
@@jamesellsworth9673 That sounds really good. Cheers! ✌️
Honey....plenty of honey
Being plain means you could put just about any kind of topping on it! Simple is good!
A lovely chocolate hard sauce would be very interesting.
THIS RECIPE presents a fine idea! American food historian and cookbook author, James Beard, published BEARD ON BREAD. One of our favorites from that book was POTATO SCONES. They needed to be served with a tart fruit jam, jelly, or marmalade to be at their best. Because of the moisture in the potatoes, browning the surface was never easy.
Amazing! We have another potato cake recipe in my home region of Russia, and it was impossible to find it outside of the region... It's so great that you had something similar in America!
My family's came from Ireland and Lithuania. We never met a Patoto we didn't like
What is it called in Russian? I'd love to see if someone's put the recipe up online
pleaaaase tell us how it's called or how to make it
What do you NOT make with potatoes in Russia?
Whats the name of the russian potato cake? i wanna try it.
Potato starch and potato flour are really common in gluten-free baked goods, especially in sweets and white breads! They give lots of body and "breadiness" to the goods without adding flavor, and they never get too dark so you can maintain the illusion of white wheat-based flour.
Sounds similar to a tattie scone that comes with a Full Scottish, or a potato farl that comes with an Ulster Fry, on breakfast menus in the UK. (Although those are cooked on a cast iron bakestone or griddle, rather than baked.) Never tried one as dessert though. Will give it a go 🙂
You had me at *Full Scottish*
EDIT: tattie scone caught my attention
@@robertnewell4054 the full Scottish is my favourite out of the 4 UK countries' traditional cooked breakfasts. (Not ashamed to say it's even ahead of my own country's version, the full Welsh.) Definitely try one if you ever have the opportunity
You can still buy potato cakes at all the supermarkets down here in southern uk and they rule. Buttered with tart jam? Wonderful. Bacon or cheese? They rock.
Yep, I thought they might griddle well and may try that
@@tuppybrill4915 they are delicious hot off the bakestone, dripping with butter 🙂
Looks fantastic, as do many of the recipes you feature! Thank you for sharing your love of history, self-reliance , and extensive information with us. Greatly appreciated!
Thank you! I'm a historical interpreter for the Regency Period and work at a house museum that the 1850-1870 era. This was a great surprise, as I have that exact cookbook. I'm working this weekend, but Sunday afternoon will be my trial for this receipt. Perhaps I'll even bake them at the museum in our wood oven while we're open for the holiday season.
Potatoes and eggs really improve with salt. I think that would be a good addition and not necessarily something the recipe would include...the baker would just know to add it. Also, I'm wondering that since there isn't any sugar in the cakes, perhaps sweet wine could have been used instead of white.
Also, the butter would have been preserved with salt, so they wouldn't necessarily need to add it extra.
@@DrGlynnWix Good note
I grew up on potato cakes as mom called them. Leftover mashed potatoes, eggs, flour, seasoning. We patted them out lightly in our hands & fried til golden brown each side. Served with eggs for breakfast or side dish for dinner 😋
My mom would make potato cakes and served with ham gravy.
That was a glorious potato catch! You barely looked away from the camera, your hands positioned perfectly, zero fumbling...beautifully done! I'm not normally interested in such things, but it was so graceful, I ended up watching it again, lol...
My husband is the cook of our home, but I cannot explain how much calmness and peace these videos bring me ^^
plus I've discovered a bunch of majestic and delicious recipes that my husband prepared for me, so I couldn't have been happier :)
I just want y’all to know how much fun and refreshing your channel is. It’s fun, kind, entertaining, creative and educational. It’s a such a great warm break from modernity. Thank you. ❤️
Your so right, Tom.
Been thinking the same thing...
I love your videos. They have given me something to watch, and then attempt with my grandparents in their mid 80s. You're wholesome style and fun delivery is just incredible, and you always have such a beautifully decorated set.
I bought a bag of potatoes yesterday to fill my guitar with cause I wanted to hear how it sounded. Now I have 5kg of leftover potatoes. Thank you for giving this potato cake idea
There's a kind of Swedish (sweet) cake called kronanskaka (I believe the name comes from it's price of one crown) that uses potato and ground almonds instead of flour, it's pretty good.
I always enjoy these videos after a long day at work. It’s just such a wholesome channel that deserves all the love and subscribers they have!
The music is fun and amazing. Great episode.
I'm thinking a dipping sauce with Congac... LOL or maybe a port for some color instead of a sack... That sauce works great with the puddings from the era.
Maybe a liqueur like Disarono?
@@letssee8397 Try it and let us know.. Post a video.. your dipping sauce can be from anything you prefer.. Just equal parts of sugar, butter and your favorite liquor.
It's rare to enjoy something new purely on the compassion of the presenter. Thanks for these cool recipes Townsend! Keep on keeping on!
Jon, great recipe, this is quite similar to a German potato dumpling recipe minus the wine and half the butter, but adding bread crumbs, salt and nut meg, and a touch of pearl ash/baking powder about 2/3 Tsp. to your flour.
I always love watching these videos. Keeping in touch with history like this is beautiful!
Someone told me once and it really hits true. Learning about food and language will define or explain the majority of a people's culture. John does an awesome example of both through reading the original wording and explaining what they meant.
@@anthonys2895 I agree! He does a wonderful job. I'm so happy he is making these videos.
I just told my daughter how much I love watching your videos - even if I have seen them before. It is really wonderful to step back in time to a simpler life, away from all the crazed news going on right now. We homestead and I cook A LOT outside all spring, summer and fall. I love cooking by the campfire and my son just finished a beautiful brick wood oven for me. It's been a dream of mine for a long time...
Anyhoo - wanted to say thank you so very very much for providing interesting, informative and very relaxed videos that keep me fixed on a new recipe to try.
Thank you!!!!!!!!! Better believe I'll be trying this recipe in the next few days. We made pizza in the wood oven tonight, followed by some marinated chicken, then round loaves of bread, and finally YOUR maple syrup bean recipe from long ago - so thank you :)
Sounds like a lower cost dessert. Looks easy enough to make, I'll try it tonight. No wine though after the holidays, I'll try with brandy instead.
You put so much heart and soul into baking these old recipes. It's always an absolute joy to watch.
Bless you and your family this holiday season Mr. Townsend. I love your channel and your content good sir so please keep up the good work.
Woah, what a flashy intro! ☺️ Love the channel and the community you've created for us here. Wishing you health and happiness this season!
The "paste" seems to mean pie pastry consistency. Certainly acts that way when you roll it--and makes perfect sense historically.
I've just found your channel and I really like learning about history that focuses on the way of life especially when it comes to cooking so I'm excited to watch your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skill with us. Xx
Wow this was one to make with the kids this weekend. A little potatoed out from Thanksgiving but this weekend supposed to be cold and snowey Sunday. Sounds perfect. Thank you , enjoy your posts , and your shoppe is pretty much my Christmas list !
Wow! Very surprised by this recipe. Seems great to make during the winter season and enjoy. Thanks!
I absolutely love this channel. Thank you so much for making these videos
The first thing my brain said was "Boil'em, Mash'em, Put'em in a pie" :D
A lot of great tips there for a low cost delight. I feel that I'm going to try quite a few of the recipes presented in the next few months. Excellent job!
Potato cakes.. yup. A good starch. I used to use them in breads and cakes. My grandmother taught me o use potatoes in both cakes and breads when I was learning to bake.
Apparently I am ethnically very Scottish, as well as, more recently, very British, and there is some instinct that sets off in me when I see you make puddings. I feel like what a cat must feel when it sees a mouse, some inherent part of me is going "YES. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED" when I see them lol
I love sweets and potatoes and never would've considered a potato DESSERT! One day I hope to make this with my loved ones and maybe we'll found a new fave~
This looks very good, especially for us diabetics. As an aside, I just found your video from 5 years ago for pawpaw pudding. I make pawpaw pudding with my persimmon pudding recipe. I also make a pawpaw and hickory nut bread using a good banana bread recipe. Just don't adjust the liquid; the dough needs to be dry and stiff or it won't work. Thanks for your videos, Jon, they're wonderful and I really enjoy them.
Never heard of pawpaw pudding. I’m a type 1 diabetic and don’t eat many sweets at all. My downfall though is bread and potatoes. Nothing like fresh homemade bread…. I wonder what this potato thing with the wine would do for blood sugars. The potato and sugar is the kicker but seems like having one wouldn’t be detrimental lol. Just have to probably take maybe 3 units of insulin with it. It might be something good to have when blood sugar plummets. Has eggs too for the protein. I use the high protein pancake mix and my blood sugars do pretty well with them. I also use sugar free syrup which really helps cut the high carb count. Always trying new things.
I use potatoes in my diet frequently. I even buy potato bread. It seems to keep longer.
I'm really impressed at just how smoothly he caught that potato. Kudos to him and whoever threw it.
Such a fun channel. My son has experimented with some of the recipes. Some good ... some not so good. This one sounds like a good recipe.
Potato cakes are common in the UK but I have never seen one that is for a dessert or one that shape
Potato cakes, butter and jam 😋
Best toasted with butter and marmite!
That's a really good recipe; because it depends on so many things as to how liquidy your potato mixture will be, and all you have to do, then, is to add as much flour as is needed to make the pastry. This is brilliant!! I'm just so very impressed. It lauds it over modern recipes with all their measurements because good cooks know that your potatos might be moist, your eggs yolks small, your liquids warm ... golly!! This is a stunner!!
Hi folks. I am an ardent follower of your channel for a handful of years and I love your videos. I've always wondered this but I never asked: why is it that these old cookbooks never had any measurements? Were there no standardised measurements available to households yet? Were these recipes just considered guides for home cooks to make, or was there always some assumed knowledge passed down by word of mouth on how much stuff to add to things?
I love these videos!!! Very interesting to watch and discover old cooking. Keep up the great work
Just found you recently, and I've been really curious about old honey cake recipes. If you have one, I'd love to see a video about it!
I am thankful for this channels existence, it's ambition is a very fine work of art. Fabulous background music of the traditional banjo.
Thanks for what you do. Love your channel!
I respect that he didn't jump up and down about their taste- with no salt or any spices in that batter, that would taste of nothing. That pudding sauce would be all the difference I reckon.
I just received my Amelia Simmons American Cookery cookbook and I am so excited to get started. It was the pumpkin pie that made me get the cookbook. One question...what is a substitute for "emptins?" Your channel is a genuine adventure! I am a retired anthropologist and I appreciate your "practical anthropology" bringing the past alive for us to be able to participate in.
What is an emptin?
Jon's world just opened up. Chocolate potato cakes were popular in the early 1900s
So they were popular more than a century at least. Cool.
I bet using left over sweet potatoes would make a nice alternative. You might not need a pudding sauce, but a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar would go nice.
Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver. Love from Korea🇰🇷💕
Maine has a potato/chocolate/coconut candy called a "Needham" that is also delicious. But it looks like it was invented in the early 1870s, it might not be old enough for Townsends!
I like this recipe and i look forward to making it soon
My Aunt used to make Needhams for us, delicious!
I remember when they were 10¢ a piece at our little corner store...
Very much same recipe that my grandfather used(except the wine), us children loved them!!!!
Yanno what goes really well with potatoes? Nutmeg.
No, no I couldn't resist. But it's true, it does go well.
Rest in peace to a BOSS
Yes, I always put nutmeg in my potato gnocchi
You can make actual candy with potatoes.... boiled potatoes, powdered sugar, flavoring and chocolate coating make fancy-schmanzy chocolate covered candies better than Russell Stover.
And the peanut butter potato candy that comes up often in searches is amazing, too.
Yep. These are what I grew up with, too!
My mother used to make dark chocolate coated peanut butter easter eggs using pretty much the same ingredients you mention, they were way better than anything store bought. I'm sure it was likely a very old recipe handed down to her from her mother.
I made a batch like earlier this year from a historical recipe. That recipe used peanut butter filling. I was shocked how leftover mashed potatoes, 1 tsp vanilla, and a limited amount of powdered sugar made what was very much a liquid. Then more powdered sugar turned it back into a dough that could be rolled out, topped, and rolled up like a jelly roll, then sliced into servings. I've got my eye on some Thanksgiving leftovers for another batch with a different topping.
"Needham's," a favorite in Maine - chocolate covered coconut candy...
Gram alway made Needhams at Christmas time, yummy!
Look like a very tasty recipe! Thanks for the video.
My family is Appalachian. We grew up making potato (tater) candy, and "Arsh (Irish) potato (tater) cakes, Most folks now just don't know what all can be done with a tater.
I wonder about putting the potato balls or patties into an air fryer versus using oil to fry..
Just recently found this channel. Love it.
I mean, sweet potatoes are a thing, and we cover those in brown sugar and other sweet toppings all the time, so I don't see this recipe as strange at all.
Very good point! I had not thought of that.
I really like nuking a sweet potato and then cutting it open and putting on it: shredded mozzarella, greek yogurt(so similar to sour cream), and whatever frozen berries are available. Then I very briefly nuke it to ensure the berries aren't too cold, or even get them really mushy and juicey and sort of spread them around the sweet potato. I love it
@@Whipple1 My first though with this recipe was that I'd love to try it, but to sub in sweet potatoes, lol.
@@BigBoobsMcGoo Yep! I’ll bet sweet potatoes would work very well in this recipe.
Cheers!
Whipple
Cooking wines and cooking with alcohols are something that we don’t appreciate today. Partly because we live in a time where flavorings don’t need to be stabilized and preserved in an alcohol anymore…. I remember from Farmer Boy they would stuff bottles or glass flasks full of wintergreen berries and leaves and then add enough alcohol to fill in the voids and that became their mint flavoring during the warm months. This is something we don’t need to do anymore with refrigeration, artificial preservatives, and quick transportation
I remember reading about that too
Jon: *is tossed a potato from off-camera, catches it effortlessly*
Me: I hope there's some bloopers of that at the end.
Same. As soon as he caught it I skipped to the end lol.
i'm on a rosemary kick and I really want to try making these with rosemary mixed into the batter.
this channel got me through the lockdowns during the pandemic
Growing up in Pennsylvania Dutch Country we had different potato cake, a large, round, sweet cake with a crumb top. I remember it being delicious, but I haven't had it since I was a kid. To find it online you need to add "-pancake" to the search, or all that will turn up are potato pancake recipes. Certainly different enough for Townsends content, but it may not be any older than last century.
Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a cake
These remind me of a lemon mashed potato cake I made a few years back. 😃🍋🥔
My mom used to talk about my great grandmother making something called potato candy, so I got kind of excited when I saw this in my feed.
You HAVE to make potato candy! It was a Christmas tradition in my family when we were kids in the 80s, in Kentucky
There is a tiktoker that posted a video this year of making potato candy.
@@leoscheibelhut940 BDylanHollis. Enthusiastic and surprised by the results.
@@twixxbar07 Yes that's him. He has lots of good stuff. Much is on youtube.
@@amywright2243 I’m in Texas and have never heard of potato candy.
I was waiting for the 'unusual' part. I spent quite a bit of the video just saying to myself (out aloud and while gesturing at the screen) that is is just a standard recipe for potato cakes. I've been making and eating them most of my life. My local supermarket probably has a couple of different brands of these in the bread aisle. Eaten Jam, sugar, honey, but usually just butter. I have to admit I was a bit suprised to see them described as unusual. John's were a bit thicker than I'd expect normally, but, Yep - those are potato cakes. The only ingerdient that would be swapped out for other things would be the wine - for milk, or yogurt, or a little vinegar - but wine is not surprising.
Potato candy is big here in Maine! Sweet stuff and oh so good covered in chocolate! Interesting cakes you made! Always make a recipe your own! Perhaps if you brushed them with butter, they would have browned more.
In Quebec we have « bonbons aux patates » which are literally potato candies. You take just a little bit of potato purée and you add loads of icing sugar until you get a stiff dough you can roll flat. The you spread peanut butter and make rolls, cut into pieces. Probably a late 19th or early 20th century thing.
Got know how takes it took for the potato toss at the beginning.. lol
...and apparently I can't write properly..lol
Potato bread with jam is nice and potatoes kind of are neutral until you add flavors, so I could see it. But even growing up on potato cakes, I wouldn't have thought about using them as a desert.
I wonder if we lost our taste for wine in sauces during the temperance movement, especially when some states still do not allow wine to be sold in the grocery store, other than the cooking wine that isn't worth the bother because it's so low quality. My grandmother was an excellent baker, but an excellent baker who did not allow any alcohol in her kitchen.
In the UK we make potato cakes the homemade type are similar in size to an American style pancake and fried... a dear friend of mine who passed last year one of the last things she asked me to do was make her potato cakes, she had fond memories of her husband making them for her and was shocked I knew how to make them...
I use cold potatoes (or cold mash potatoes) these are usually leftovers, or you can use instant mash and cool it down, I made about a cup and a half last time for her
1-2 eggs not separated
enough plain flour (flour without baking powder in) to make the eggs and potatoes into a solid dough
oil for frying in a pan
any spices or herbs you want Rosalie wanted them plain so I added salt and pepper... but me and my husband do add garlic and dry herbs
so have the mash potatoes in a bowl, add one egg and mix if you feel it is still too dry (you want the mash to be on the runner side or look like curdles) add another egg, then add the plain flour a bit at a time until you get a solid dough similar in looks to a roll-able cookie dough. I take about a golf ball sized lump and flatten it between my hands, then put these in a hot frying pan with some oil fry on both sides until dark brown (that's how I like them) they are usually served on the side of a full English breakfast instead of hash browns, so they would be eaten with uk baked beans (these have a tomatoey sauce rather then the BBQ sauce you have in the US) bacon and a fried egg
I’m an American and we do mashed potato ones like you mentioned. Salt, pepper … I need to try with garlic. That sounds good. I love beans but we don’t eat them for breakfast. Seems odd to me lol. Sounds like you eat pork and beans.. or that’s what we call those kinds of beans.
My mother used to fry up leftover mashed potatoes into potato pancakes. Those were good.
Every time I watch a new upload here, I'm reminded how much I love this channel.
Mmmm potatoes and Nutmeg (I can't believe none went in!)...sounds delicious and makes me want to sit by a fire and read an 18th century cook book. 📖
I wish this video came before I ate all the mash potato leftovers from Thanksgiving....
I plan on trying this but with sweet potatoes and mixing in marshmallows with them to make them into yam cakes
Sounds perfect to make this gray and windy afternoon.
I might try this with gf flour and add some sweetener to the cakes as well. Those actually look quite lovely! It's always a lot of fun to watch these cooking experiments.
You made flour out of your girlfriend??? Sorry, couldn't resist.
At 6:02 I legit thought this place was haunted for a second..... Especially near the end when you see something move erratically around Jon's head.
But clearly it's the sun hitting dust from the windows, and there must be a draft near by as well lol.
We always save leftover mash potatoes to make donuts at the end of the week. This is very similar.
To make donuts? How do you do that may I ask?
Apart from the wine, the recipe reminds me of german Schupfnudeln.
Did you ever try these? Wanna give them a try with sauce for savoury or with sauerkraut (which i hate, but others love it) or with my fav way. Fry them in a pan till golden brown, let them cool a little bit, then serve on a plate and top it with some powdered sugar!
I was thinking to make mashed potato balls basically and frying them. Never thought of powdered sugar…. Interesting and seems like it would be good. Do you use the butter and eggs like this recipe on here?
@@proudmarinemomma827 i buy the Schupfnudeln from the supermarket. ^^‘ never made them myself.
How many times did you shoot that opening sceen? It was smooth as butter with the throw and catch and the line delivery. Well done as always! Love your work.
Thank you for bringing such an unusual recipe to our attention. I think I would add a little sweetener to the paste.
I was surprised that there was not a dash of salt or even nutmeg in this recipe!
May have to try this one Jon, thank you.
I could see it maybe being good with fresh potatoes as they can be sweet since the sugars haven't converted to starches I think.
Scottish Macaroon’s traditionally made from cold leftover mashed potato and sugar. Dipped in chocolate and dusted in roasted coconut
Or tattie scones: leftover mash flour, roll thin, fry in butter
Are you Scottish? I’m from USA/Texas. On those macaroons, you just keep the mashed potatoes cold? I’ve never had a macaroon. Sounds nice though. I think I’d like it warm though.
If you want a bit of browning on the cakes, in the last 10 minutes of baking spread a small amount of melted butter over the top of the cakes. In addition to the pudding sauce, mix in 2 Tbs of brown sugar per 1/4 lb of butter and 1/4 tsp salt. While melting the butter, skim off the fat as it is reduced to a simmer for a cleaner flavor. Finish lightly with powdered cinnamon and grated nutmeg
ha ha I just had potaoe farls for supper in Ireland..but savoury. Might try sweet ones tomorrow!
Oh Lordy… I read your message and thought you said a potato fart… I kinda gagged for a minute lol 🤦🏻♀️🤮
What is a farl may I ask?!
@@proudmarinemomma827 a sort of fried mashed potatoe cake
No way that I would do a Dessert potato cake. But Savory Potato cakes I could expound upon in great length. Think carmalized shallots garlic and chives fresh herbs baby Dill and Thyme and Cilantro. And make some homemade chipotle ketchup with Heinz ketchup and Chipotles with adobo sauce😋!!!
That sounds really good
They used what they had. We are spoiled and may have to rethink our food guide lines in the near future. Thanks