Savoury Squirrel Bakes

My roommate Natalie and I threw a vegetarian potluck last night, so I figured it was time to start Redwall cooking again! I chose these Savoury Squirrel Bakes (from the Winter section) because they are bite-sized and easy to eat! What they are, basically, are mashed potato balls. 

The first step was to boil and mash the potatoes. This part really steamed up my glasses. The original recipe calls for boiled & mashed potatoes. Like it just assumes we all know how to boil potatoes? Good thing the internet exists. 

The mashed potatoes are then mixed with cheese, butter, chopped chives, and a bit of flour. I could have just eaten this without baking it or anything, and was very tempted to stop here and just serve the dough. Next time I have to make mashed potatoes, I think I will use this recipe!

I then used my hand to roll the dough into balls. I dipped each ball into a beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs. A fork works good for this if you don't want to get your hands egg-y. 

I didn't follow the recipe exactly; I tried to multiple it by 1.5, but ended up making some measurement estimates. Either way, it worked well and made plenty of Squirrel Bakes!

Snowman!

They are then baked for about 20 minutes. I didn't take any photos after baking, but they look pretty much the same. They just solidify a little more.

There were only 3 left by the end of the potluck, so I would declare them a success! A lot easier to make than I first expected too. Thanks for the recipe, Lady Amber!

Here is the modified recipe that I made up. There are only a few changes from the cookbook:

Savoury Squirrel Bakes

Makes 24

• 3 large potatoes (I used Russet)
• 1/2 bag shredded Cheddar cheese (6-8oz)
• 3 Tbsp margarine, softened 
• 2 Tbsp chopped chives
• 1 Tbsp flour

• 1 egg, beaten
• breadcrumbs (about 1.5 cups)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 2 baking pans with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper. 
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into even chunks. Cover with cold water then boil until soft enough to poke through with a fork. 
3. Drain potatoes and transfer to large bowl. Mash with a fork. Add cheese, margarine/butter, and chives, then mix. If dough is not sticking together enough, add flour. 
4. Use your hands to roll balls of dough. Dip each ball into the egg mixture then coat with breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet. 
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

This recipe seems like it would be pretty easy to make gluten-free too - just omit the flour and use GF breadcrumbs!