Popcorn Feast: Henrietta’s Holiday Popcorn Balls

My mother loved popcorn. She considered it one of the major food groups, and we gobbled it every Sunday night for dinner while watching The Ed Sullivan Show or The Wonderful World of Disney. My father often rebelled, not being a popcorn lover, and would make himself an ice cream sundae. Hard to believe for a family that primarily ate only fresh foods (as we lived on a farm) that such gastronomical sins would be committed on this day!

Popcorn balls held a special place in Mom’s holiday recipes. Starting with Halloween, they would make appearances at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s as well. Soft and gooey, not those horrible dry things that could chip a tooth, she lovingly wrapped them in wax paper and tied a colorful ribbon around the twisted top. Then they would go in a paper bag and be stored in a warm closet to be doled out when people stopped by or as gifts.

One thing to remember: Mom believed it was best to butter the popcorn prior to applying the simple syrup she made, even though the syrup contained butter. I happen to agree.

Henrietta’s Holiday Popcorn Balls

Ingredients

• 5 – 6 quarts of popcorn, popped (I prefer white popcorn; yellow works well, too). Use 5 quarts popcorn if you like a syrupier flavor

• 3 cups sugar

• 1 cup corn syrup (either light or dark)

• 1 cup water

• ¾ cup unsalted butter + 4 tablespoons

• ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• ½ teaspoon soda

Directions

1. Pop the corn, sift out the unpopped kernels,

2. Melt and pour the 4 tablespoons of butter over the corn

3. Place it in a lightly buttered roasting pan and keep warm in a 300-degree oven while you make the simple syrup.

4. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, ¾ cup butter in stick form, and salt.

5. Over medium heat and stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil and heat to soft-ball stage, about 240 degrees using a candy thermometer. Have a cup of ice-cold water handy to make sure it’s at the soft-ball stage, removing the pan from the heat as you test.

6. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and soda.

Variations are endless. You can use food coloring in the syrup for colorful display; add gumdrops, M & M’s, or salted peanuts to some if you wish. At Halloween you can form popcorn balls around a gummy worm for shrieks and shouts.

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