What do cooked, unseasoned potatoes, sweet shredded coconut and chocolate have in common? Those unlikely three ingredients, combined, make up a Maine confection called a "Needham".
A Maine confection? Yes, while there are many stories about the origin of the Needham, from the simplest, that a farmer's wife made the first Needham in her kitchen, to the account by the noted all-things-Maine author, John Gould, who attests that it was in 1873 a Portland based entrepreneurial confectioner devised the recipe. According to Gould, it was likely that the candy was named after a very prominent evangelical 19th century preacher, the Rev. George C Needham.
No matter who made the first Needham, they have been very popular in northern New England ever since.
Now it is time to spread the word about Needhams across the country and around the world. One can find recipes online to make these confections at home, a popular item around the holidays; however, Bixby Chocolate. offers an easier option. You can buy them here and send them to family and friends or while in Maine, eat like a local, and pick them up curbside in Rockland, at Reny's, Stonewall Kitchen, LLBean, and Market Baskets in Maine. We make ours without any artificial preservatives, flavorings or coloring. Ours are also Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Vegan!
It's a Maine thing!