¾ cup mashed potato

2 pounds powdered sugar

¼ pound butter

½ pound flaked coconut

2 teaspoons vanilla

Pare and cook the potatoes to make ¾ cup. In a double boiler on top of the stove, melt the butter over boiling water. Add the mashed potato, powdered sugar, flaked coconut and vanilla.

Mix well. Spread the mixture evenly in a buttered cookie sheet. Place in a cool place to harden—a cool garage or back porch in the winter works well. When hard, cut the mixture into small squares and dip in the chocolate mixture.

Chocolate Dip

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

½ cake paraffin wax

Melt the paraffin in the bowl of the double boiler. Add the chocolates and melt. Stir well. Dip the needham squares in the chocolate and place on waxed paper to harden. Makes 66 good-sized needhams. The recipe may be cut in half.

Cheryl’s notes: This recipe for needhams was adapted from Marjorie Standish in "Cooking Down East." Many old-time Maine cookbooks feature recipes for needhams or "potato candies" as the late Brownie Schrumpf called them. They must have originated in the County as I have yet to find any mention of them in any out-of-state books. Sally Cole of Houlton first introduced me to the rich coconut and chocolate confection.