During WWII, Potatoes Became An Unexpected Dessert Ingredient

On the home front during World War II (1939 to 1945) home cooks had to get creative due to rationing. The governments in the United States and in the United Kingdom set a limit on the availability of a variety of foods (along with everything from gas to rubber to metal) to ensure that both civilians and the military had access to enough supplies. This led to homemakers coming up with dishes like mock ham sandwiches made with bologna and ration cake with a base of dried fruit. Food rationing in the U.K. was even more stringent than in the U.S., which led to the creation of a British wartime treat with an unusual base ingredient: chocolate truffles made with mashed potatoes.

The recipe comes from "Good Eating: Suggestions for Wartime Dishes" put out by the Daily Telegraph newspaper in an attempt to provide its readers with some diversity in their restricted diets during the war. It's a simple recipe requiring only mashed potatoes, cocoa powder, sugar, and either almond or vanilla extract. Traditional chocolate truffles instead call for cream and butter, which were both rationed during the war.

If you're wondering how starchy mashed potatoes can act as a substitute for a rich and toothsome ganache made from heavy cream and butter, the answer is that it can, sort of, but only in the same way that Jerusalem artichokes can be used to replace fish in mock fish pie (another recipe from the book). It won't be identical to the real thing, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a go. 

World War II-era chocolate truffles made with mashed potatoes may not get your stomach rumbling if you're used to the traditional style of the dessert, but this recipe dates from a time when people had to make do with very limited ingredients. Bearing that in mind, according to those who've tried it, it's packed with chocolate flavor and on the sweet side, but the texture is a bit squishy. YouTuber and blogger Carolyn Ekins of channel Ration Book Recipes compared the texture to the soft and chewy Japanese rice cake mochi, which sounds pretty darn tasty.

This truffle treat may be a relic of a past time, like such old-school desserts as tomato-soup spice cake that no one makes anymore, but it might be worth reviving. The recipe is simple, forgoes dairy, and is cheaper to make than traditional chocolate truffles. It could be worth making for the budget-minded, vegans, or anyone in a pinch who has potatoes on hand but no cream or butter. Mashed potato chocolate truffles may not have the exact same qualities as the classic variety, but as a sweet treat, it becomes its own candy worth exploring.