Marzipankartoffeln - or Marzipan Potatoes - are a German tradition, often passed out to friends in small bags at Christmas time. I’m not German, but long ago adopted these sweet little tubers for the adorable joke of them. As marzipan shapes go, I think these are the funniest and the easiest.
Stick the marzipan shape with whole cloves and roll them in cinnamon, as in potato eyes and dirt; it’s just so darn easy to make them look like miniature Russets or freshly dug fingerlings. In case you couldn’t tell, I’ve got a pile each of tiny Yukon Golds and freshly dug New Potatoes. Offered after dinner with coffee, or strategically placed on a dessert table, these things that look like a vegetable but are really dessert never fail to evoke a good laugh, which, of course, is welcome this time of year. Come to think of it, maybe Marzipankartoffeln should be a prescription, not a tradition.
