The LaHave Cookbook contains a doughnut recipe… made with mashed potatoes! Two other desserts, a Caramel Cake and Almond Paste, also feature potato as a crucial ingredient. Since potatoes were cheap and local, they were used to help a baker’s flour stock last longer. In fact, the first donut franchise in the United States was called Spudnuts, which used a potato-based recipe. This unique treat, along with its friendly mascot (pictured above) quickly caught on among North Americans. By 1964, it was estimated that Spudnuts was selling over 400,000 donuts per day, and they even had locations in Japan! Eventually, a poor business decision led to the company’s decline, and the potato-free donut took over. There are still a few shops in the United States, but only one in Canada. Next time you are in Lethbridge, Alberta, check out the Crazy Cakes bakery; they took over the old Spudnuts Shop, and still offer the original tater-filled dessert!