Bare Bones Molasses Popcorn Balls Recipes

POP'S MOLASSES POPCORN BALLS AND TAFFY

Steps:

• Place popcorn in a large bowl, with room for mixing. Fill another bowl with ice water. Butter several plates, one per each person who will be pulling taffy.
• Combine sugar, corn syrup, molasses, water, butter, and salt in a large 6-quart saucepan over medium heat; attach a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Tip the pan slightly to melt the sugar crystals on the sides, scraping down with a wooden spoon. Heat until the mixture registers 300 to 310 degrees F (149 to 155 degrees C) on the thermometer or until a small amount of syrup drizzled into cold water turns hard, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Pour about 1 cup syrup onto each buttered plate. Let cool until safe to handle like a hot potato, 3 to 5 minutes. Pull syrup between your hands until a light golden brown color is achieved; the longer you pull it, the lighter it becomes. Twist into a long rope about 3/4-inch thick and place on back on a buttered plate to let taffy harden and cool. Break the hardened taffy apart.
• Pour the remaining hot syrup carefully over popcorn, while someone else quickly stirs the batch. Butter your hands and dip them in the ice water; working quickly to avoid burns and before taffy hardens, grab some of the popcorn mixture and form into a 3-inch ball. Repeat with the remaining popcorn.

OLD-TIME POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine molasses, sugar, water, vinegar and butter. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until mixture reaches 235° on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage). Add baking soda and stir well. , Remove from heat and immediately pour over popcorn, stirring gently with a wooden spoon until well coated. When cool enough to handle, quickly shape into 3-in. balls, dipping hands in cool water to prevent the syrup from sticking.

MOLASSES POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Pick over popped corn, discarding all hard kernels.
• Combine molasses,sugar, water, vinegar and salt; cook slowly, stirring constantly, to270 degrees F. (or when a small quantity dropped into cold water forms a hard ball).
• Remove from heat; add vanilla extract and shortening, stirring only enough to mix.
• Pour over popped corn, stirring constantly.
• Grease hands; shape lightly and quickly into balls. [If you squeeze too hard, you will crush the popcorn and it won't be as good.]
• Cool. Wrap in Waxed paper, twisting the ends of the paper around the top of the ball.

BARE-BONES MOLASSES POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Combine molasses and sugar in a saucepan.
• Grease a large mixing bowl and put in popped popcorn. Grease a mixing spoon. Set aside.
• Combine molasses and sugar in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, heat over medium-high heat until just about boiling.
• Pour over popcorn and mix well. Add peanuts if desired at this point.
• Let cool a little (take the kids to wash their hands - that will take just the right amount of time!).
• Press popcorn into balls. (Kids love this!).
• Eat what sticks on your hands.

MOLASSES POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Combine molasses, sugar and butter or margarine in a 2 quart saucepan. Dissolve sugar by stirring. Cook over medium heat until mixture forms a hard but not brittle ball when dropped in cold water. Stir constantly. Dribble syrup over popped corn stirring to coat all. Make balls with buttered hands when cool. Wrap in waxed paper.

FAVORITE POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a 4 quart saucepan, and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add 1/2 cup of popping corn. Keep pan moving constantly. When corn stops popping, remove from heat. Repeat until all corn has been popped. Place popped corn into a buttered bowl.
• In 2 quart saucepan, melt butter. Stir in sugar, molasses, and salt. Insert a candy thermometer in saucepan and boil sugar mixture on medium heat until the thermometer reads 260 degrees F(126 degrees C).
• Pour syrup over corn, while stirring popcorn thoroughly. Butter hands lightly. Shape popcorn into 12 to 14 balls.