Next time you’re making mashed potatoes, throw in a few extras.
They’ll come in handy when you want to make pastry, cinnamon buns or cheesecake.
Unappetizing as it sounds, potatoes have invaded the pastry wagon.
It may not sound like such a good idea, but based on a taste test of ham-cheese-basil-potato savoury scones and, especially, Mayan Chocolate and Orange Potato Cheesecake, the eyes have it.
Although we didn’t taste the plum tart that Emily Richards brought along to The Mississauga News yesterday, it looked droolingly delectable too.
Richards, with the help of Mississauga-based public relations firm HealthComm, is on the road on behalf of the Ontario Potato Board plumping the benefits of potatoes as a replacement for artery-clogging fats in baked goods.
The Guelph-based Richards is well-known for her television appearances on Canadian Living Television and Canadian Living Cooks on the Food Network over the past several years. She also does regular cooking demonstrations at the Ponytrail and Winston Churchill Longos outlets and produces that chain’s annual calendar and its regular food magazine.
She’s been working for a year on the unlikely-sounding process of “SpudStitution,” as a press release dubbed it.
Richards doesn’t recommend you tell anyone in advance what they’re eating when you put pineapple macadamia potato cupcakes or chocolate vanilla pecan potato ice cream in front of them. Not unless you really enjoy the sound of Ohhh....yech.
One of the local converts is Laurie Hildebrand of West Acres, a foodie who devours the TV cooking shows and loves to try new foods with a healthy bent to them on her husband and kids, 16 and 13. “Potatoes have gotten a really bad rap because of this whole carbohydrates-are-bad thing,” says Hildebrand. “We never stopped eating them.”
Her family’s verdict on the cheesecake? Well, let's just say it was all gone by the next day.
“A potato has 129 calories, no fat and is full of vitamin C and potassium” said Richards. Not to mention vitamin B6, thiamine, niacin, folic acid, iron, zinc and fibre. Its complex carbohydrates make you feel fuller.
According to a provincial survey, though, Ontarians don’t think of potatoes as a health food. Only 10 per cent eat taters because they know they’re good for them.
That’s not going to change with spudstitution. I’m willing to bet that the health benefits won’t cross your mind while the cheesecake is doing the two-step on your tastebuds.
Here’s the Mayan-Orange cheesecake recipe, one of several available at www.ontariopotatoes.ca:
Mayan Chocolate & Orange Potato Cheesecake
Densely rich, this cheesecake is dark and mysterious with the spicy fruit flavour of the Maya Gold chocolate (Maya Gold bittersweet chocolate is made by Green & Black’s Organic and has a blend of orange and spices in it; if unavailable, use a high-quality bittersweet chocolate).
2-3/4 cups (675 mL) chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup (50 mL) ground almonds
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup (160 mL) butter, melted
Filling:
2 pkgs (8oz/250 g each) light cream cheese, softened
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) mashed Ontario potatoes, cooled
3 eggs
10 oz (300 g) chopped Maya Gold bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated orange rind
Pinch pepper
2 tbsp (25 mL) spiced rum or amaretto
2 cups (500 mL) whipped cream
Chocolate-covered almonds
In bowl, stir together cookie crumbs, almonds, cinnamon and nutmeg. Drizzle with butter and stir until well moistened. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan. Centre pan in large piece of heavy-duty foil and wrap bottom and sides. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven 10 minutes or until firm. Let cool completely.
Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Beat in mashed potato until smooth. Beat in eggs, adding one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate, orange rind and pepper and beat slowly until combined and smooth. Beat in rum. Pour mixture into pan and smooth top.
Place springform in larger pan and add hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake in 325°F (160°C) oven 50 minutes or until set around edges but still jiggly in centre. Turn oven off and let cool in oven 1 hour. Remove from oven and water bath and let cool completely on rack. Place in refrigerator 4 hours or until cold.
Remove sides from springform pan and garnish with whipped cream and almonds.
Makes 16 servings.