Traditional Maine Needhams Food

MAINE NEEDHAMS

Steps:

• Pare, cook, and mash potato to make three-quarters of a cup.
• Add salt.
• Using double boiler place butter in it and melt over boiling water.
• Add mashed potato, confectioners sugar, flaked coconut, and vanilla.
• Mix well and turn into a buttered jelly roll pan and spread evenly.
• Place in a cool place to harden.
• When hard, cut into small squares.
• For the dipping chocolate, again use a double boiler.
• Place paraffin in the top over boiling water to melt.
• Then add the two kinds of chocolate and allow to melt.
• Stir well to mix ingredients.
• Dip in the chocolate mixture (with a fork, toothpick, or cake tester--I use a fork and put the square on top of the tines and dip it, letting the excess chocolate drip off before I lay it on the waxed paper).
• Hold each square over the chocolate mixture after dipping so the square drains well (I usually will have to reheat the chocolate inbetween dippings so it is nice and thin and drips of easily).
• Place on waxed paper to harden.
• Should make about 66 good sized needhams.
• This halves easily.

OLD FASHIONED MAINE NEEDHAMS

Steps:

• Filling:.
• Pare, cook and mash potatoes, or run the potatoes through a ricer to make certain you have no lumps.
• Add salt.
• melt the margarine in a microwave.
• Add potatoes, conf sugar, vanilla and coconut.
• It will create a very thick mixture.
• Mix well and then turn onto a pan lined with well buttered waxed paper.
• Spread evenly.
• Place another piece of buttered waxed paper on the top to keep the filling moist.
• Place in cool place and let harden.
• The trick to this is to allow the filling to harden 2 or 3 days if possible.
• If they start to get mushy when you attempt to dip them, try putting them into the freezer for about 30 minutes Cut into squares and dip.
• Chocolate dip: Using a double boiler put parafin in the top over boiling water and melt.
• Add both chocolates and melt.
• Stir well to mix ingrediants.
• Using a meat fork or a wooden kabob stick, dip the filling into the chocolate.
• Drain each square well before placing onto taxed paper.
• Let harden.
• Should yield 66 good sized squares.

TRADITIONAL MAINE NEEDHAMS

Steps:

• Cook potatoes unseasoned, then mash to
• make 3/4 cup.
• Combine salt, potatoes, melted butter, confectioner's sugar, flaked
• coconut and vanilla in a mixer until smooth and well blended.
• Turn into a lined jelly roll pan.Spread evenly (mixture will be very thick), then.
• place in refrigerator to harden (24 hours).
• Cut into small squares and dip in chocolate coating.
• For coating: melt paraffin and semi-sweet chocolate at the top of a double boiler.
• Turn down heat and add chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate has melted but mixture is still slightly thick. Keeping heat low to maintain melt, dip Needhams to coat. Place dipped squares on wax paper to cool. Needhams will keep very well for a long time refrigerated and will
• actually improve in flavor over a few weeks.

NEEDHAMS

Steps:

• Cook and mash potatoes. While still warm, add the powdered sugar. Mix well. Add the coconut and nuts. Add vanilla. Mix well.
• Form into small shapes or balls and leave for a while to cool and set.
• Melt dipping chocolate in a double boiler. Using a toothpick, roll each ball into the melted chocolate.