Pop psychology Creating delicious poopcorn ball treats brings back precious holiday memories

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Our mother always put two food items in our Christmas stockings: clear-toy candy and perfectly fat navel oranges. We didn’t have these treasures at other times of the year, and we never expected them. They were Christmas food, and eating them in July would have been victual heresy.

These days, when I come across barley-malt lollipops or pudgy oranges, memories of childhood flood back and I can taste the magic of the season through the taste buds of an earlier me. Recently, those memories rose unexpectedly when I decided to make popcorn balls as a holiday gift.

For many, popcorn balls are Halloween treats. Something about corn and its fundamental role in this country makes it suitable for a holiday that comes deep in autumn. Think Pilgrims, think Indians, and popcorn can’t be far behind.

But there’s something inherently right about popcorn balls for Christmas, too. They have that ornamental look, as if meant to be hung on a tree. And like their distant cousin, popcorn strung on a tree as garland, popcorn balls are easy to make.

For the uninitiated: Popcorn balls are typically the size of baseballs and are held together with sugar syrup. Some cooks add marshmallow. Others add M&Ms. The flavor possibilities are as varied as a person’s sweet tooth: caramel, nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut, chocolate or your favorite brand of gelatin. There are cheesy and savory variations, too.

But for the sweet ones, corn syrup and sugar are usually boiled to 250 degrees and then poured over a bowl of freshly popped corn. You have to work with the syrup when it’s bubbling, and it burns a little, but it’s too sticky to mix effectively with a spoon. So you have to grease your hands with butter, hold your breath and then plunge into the hot goo, turning the popcorn over and over and over to coat it with the syrup, which will harden quickly at the bottom of the bowl if you don’t move speedily.

Shaping the balls – most recipes make about eight or nine – begins immediately before any more cooling takes place. If you’re planning to decorate with red and green sugar, this is the time to sprinkle it on or roll the finished ball in a bowl filled with the sugar.

After popcorn balls harden, they look like mini planets from a lumpier solar system. That’s fun for kids, who can hold them easily in their hands and who probably appreciate the stickiness more than most adults. Like all popcorn incarnations, these are hard on your teeth, awkward to the lips and chunky in the mouth. Most people love them or hate them. No one feels neutral about popcorn balls.

I thought I did, but it turns out I don’t. The moment the lustrous syrup hit the popcorn, right after a tinny sizzling sound, an aroma so distant and familiar rose in the kitchen. It was a powerful perfume, and, as I closed my eyes, a little girl’s hands came into focus. I used to make popcorn balls with my mother!

Kneading the popcorn mixture, I reached backward in time to family days when we cooked together and ate our crunchy creations with a childish abandon. You can’t eat a popcorn ball without looking goofy. But it was Christmas and our kitchen was busy and we didn’t mind the burning hands or the silly awkwardness of getting our mouths around the thing.

But without taking one bite of the popcorn balls I was making all these years later, I found myself surrounded by the comforts of a family Christmas. There are other memories, too. But these are the ones the popcorn balls evoked. They are among my oldest – and newest – favorites.

Note: I used microwave popcorn for the following recipes. One bag usually made about 2 quarts. Make sure the popcorn is completely popped because unpopped kernels, a few of which are inevitable, can ruin the eating experience – not to mention a tooth. Instead of buttering my hands when mixing the popcorn and sugar combination, I kept a can of nonstick cooking spray nearby and easily spritzed my hands as needed. Metal bowls and plastic spoons work well for preliminary mixing if the syrup is too hot for hands. Food coloring can be stirred evenly into the sugar syrup just before pouring on the popcorn. I used Karo corn syrup.

Alicia Anstead can be reached at 990-8266 and aanstead@bangordailynews.net.

Mom’s Popcorn Balls

Makes about eight baseball-sized balls

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 quarts popped popcorn

Mix corn and sugar in large saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Pour over popcorn and, with buttered fingers, mix well. Shape into balls and place on parchment paper to harden.

Adapted from the “Fannie Farmer cookbook.”

First-time Popcorn Balls

Makes about eight

2 quarts popped popcorn

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, butter and salt in a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Cook until mixture reaches 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Quickly stir in vanilla, if using. Pour syrup mixture over popcorn, mixing well with a buttered spoon or hands. Form into balls.

Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

Makes about eight

2 quarts popped popcorn

6 tablespoons butter

5 cups marshmallows

Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in marshmallows and cook until melted, stirring constantly until marshmallows have dissolved and mixture is uniformly smooth. Pour marshmallow over popcorn and mix to coat evenly. Smear hands with butter or spritz with nonstick cooking spray. Mix until popcorn is evenly coated. Shape into balls.

Adapted from www.easyfunschool.com and www.allrecipes.com.