CHAPTER IX
POP-CORN SWEETS
Excellent, inexpensive and nourishing sweets may be made with popped pop-corn. For making these sweets the pop-corn kernels should be large, crisp and with no hard centers. The best way to pop corn to obtain these results is first to use good pop-corn, then put enough corn in the popper just to cover the bottom of popper. Pour some cold water over it and hold the popper some distance from the heat at first. Continue this for three or four minutes, then place more directly over the heat. The fire over which corn is popped should be hot, even and steady. Shake the popper quickly and steadily until nearly all the grains have popped. When commencing to pop almost every grain should pop open at once. The cold water poured over the corn causes a steam to generate; this makes the corn swell and burst open from the very center in large, crisp, fine flavored kernels. If not ready to make the candy as soon as the corn is popped store in paraffine bags or glass jars and close up tightly, since popped corn soon gets tough if exposed to dampness.
Molasses Pop-Corn Balls
Take one cupful of light brown sugar and one cupful of New Orleans molasses, half a cupful of water and boil to the hard ball stage, then add two tablespoonfuls of butter. Boil to the crack stage, then add a half teaspoonful of soda and pour over some freshly popped corn in a bowl. Stir until the syrup is evenly distributed over the corn, but be careful not to break the grains in doing so. Dip the hands in water, take a portion of the pop-corn up into the hands and press into nice even round balls.
Chocolate Pop-Corn Balls
Pop some corn and pick out only the large crisp, tender grains. Place in a saucepan two cupfuls of granulated sugar, one-half cupful of water and one-fourth teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Boil until it spins a thread or forms a hard ball when dropped in cold water; then flavor with a teaspoonful of vanilla. Pour part of this sugar syrup over the pop-corn, stirring until the syrup is evenly distributed through the pop-corn; while doing this let the remainder stand on the back of the stove. Form into tiny pop-corn balls with the fingers, boil the remaining syrup to the crack stage, then dip each ball into this, and place on paraffine paper until cool. When cool dip into melted sweet chocolate.
Snow Pop-Corn Balls
Take two cupfuls of granulated sugar, one-half cupful of white corn syrup, one-half cupful of water and a pinch of cream of tartar. Boil to the soft ball stage, then flavor with a few drops of peppermint extract or a half teaspoonful of vanilla and pour over the stiffly beaten whites of two eggs. Beat up until light and it begins to harden, then stir in two cupfuls of crisp pop-corn grains. Dip the hands into corn-starch and mold while still warm into small balls. Roll each ball in cocoanut, and then wrap in paraffine paper to keep their shape until cold. Unwrap and heap on plate.