First off, these really aren’t truffles. Sorry to disappoint, but I just didn’t want the name of my post to be “Squash Balls”.

Umm… doesn’t exactly inspire cozy, happy, holiday thoughts. So, because these little treats are round and have somewhat of a crispy, sweet coating… truffles they became.

I found the inspiration for this recipe in a April issue of Family Circle from 1955 (one of my grandmother’s magazines). “Crispy Sweet-Potato Balls” – They are little funky-retro, and a lot fun to eat.

Unlike Mrs. Eisenhower’s Apple Pie, I did make some modifications to this recipe.

With the biggest eating day of the year looming close, I wanted to be sure I could pound some stuffing, mashed potatoes and Black-Friday-Power-Shopping-Frappuccinos without overwhelming guilt.

Don’t worry. The “yummier” PG-13 version is below also… Worth a shot if butter and zweiback crumbs are your thing. I’ll let you choose for yourself ; )

Retro Squash Truffles

Makes about 10 larger-than-golf-ball-sized truffles

Squash Mixture:

• 2 Cups of roasted squash (I used a Kabocha, but Butternut or Sweet Dumpling would work well also, or even Sweet Potatoes like the original recipe suggests.)
• 1 T Earth Balance (or butter), melted
• 1 t Brown sugar (May need to vary based on the sweetness of your squash)
• 1/2 t lemon juice
• Dash of Nutmeg and Pepper (to taste)

Coating Mixture:

• 2/3 Cups of Panko Breadcrumbs (graham crackers or a few crushed pecans would be great additions, too)
• 2 t Earth Balance (or butter), melted
• 1/8 t Cinnamon and Nutmeg and Salt

Directions:

• Mash squash in a large bowl; add remaining squash-mixture ingredients; beat until fluffy; form into balls truffles.
• Combine coating-mixture ingredients in a pie-plate; roll truffles in the mixture until coated well, place in a shallow baking pan.
• Bake in slow oven (325) for about 35 minutes, or until truffles are heated-through and coating is crisp.

Garnish these little spheres of sweet-fluffy-mashed-potato-like goodness with a drizzle of real maple syrup, or….

…yep, I went there.

Add half of a marshmallow for the last five minutes of baking time for a gooey treat. Perfect nestled next to a turkey, and fun to make (and eat) with kids.

That is, unless you get TOO into the retro thing, and make the whole family dress alike…

Just. Don’t. Do it. They won’t appreciate that when they’re older. And, therapy is expensive.

Enjoy!

For all of you adventurers out there, here is the original recipe, as printed:

Crispy Sweet-Potato Balls

Makes 8 large Potato Balls

Potato Mixture

• 2 Cans (1lb, 2oz each) of vacuum packed sweet potatoes
• 4 T (1/2 Stick) of melted butter or margarine
• 2 T Brown Sugar
• 1t Salt
• 1/4 t Nutmeg
• 1/8 t Pepper
• 1 t Lemon juice

Coating Mixture

• 3/4 Cup coarse zwieback crumbs (About 6 slices)
• 2 T Brown Sugar
• 2T Melted Butter or Margarine
• 1/8 t Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Salt

Directions: Same as above, but bake for 40 minutes.