Ingredients:

Equipment

• 24 lollipop sticks

Ingredients

Potato Cake Pop

• ½ cup Idaho® potatoes, plain and mashed
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar (625 grams)
• 1-2 drops gel food coloring (optional)

Chocolate Coating

• 12 ounces chocolate candy melts
• 1 teaspoon shortening
• Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Prepare the Potatoes

1. Microwave the potatoes until tender (see notes below). Scoop out the flesh, mash until smooth, and let cool completely at room temperature.

Make the Cake Balls

1. Using a stand mixer, beat together the cooled mashed potatoes, butter, vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture is thick and well blended. The dough should be sticky, but not runny or separating. If needed, add more powdered sugar to adjust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Use your hands to roll small cake balls (approximately 1.5 tablespoons) and place them on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. You can use a scale or cookie scoop to make sure the cake balls are the same size. Then, place the cake balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Dip the Cake Balls

1. Place candy melts and shortening into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each interval until the candy melts are completely melted.
2. Dip each cake pop stick into the melted chocolate and stick them halfway through the cake balls. Return cake pops to the refrigerator for 10 minutes to harden.
3. Remove cake pops from the refrigerator 2-3 at a time to dip in chocolate. Make sure you cover the entire cake ball in chocolate. Then, lightly tap the cake pop stick on your hand to remove excess chocolate. You may need to reheat your chocolate as you continue to work.
4. Sprinkle the cake pops immediately with white sprinkles. Then stick them in a styrofoam board while the chocolate hardens. Continue working in batches until all cake balls have been coated in chocolate. Once the coating dries, you can serve and enjoy!