Sweet Popcorn Balls for mrsmac

[jkath]

Here's another sweetened condensed milk recipe for you, mrsmac.

Sweet Popcorn Balls

1 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. margarine
1 c. corn syrup
1 lb. brown sugar
12 quarts of popped popcorn

Mix together milk, margarine, syrup and sugar in a saucepan over low heat.
To avoid scorching, stir constantly.
Remove from heat when mixture reaches soft ball stage (234-240 degrees f)
Pour hot mixture over popcorn, and stir, to make sure all popcorn is coated. Butter hands well and shape into balls.

When cooled, they look pretty when you wrap them in a waxed paper square, which has been cut with a deckle-edged scissor. Then bring up all four corners and tie with a french ribbon or raffia. Even prettier is when you put a little hang tag (also cut with a deckle edged scissor) with the recipe on it.

[kyles]

In case you wondered mrsmac, you can use golden syrup in place of the corn syrup. I know you used to be able to by corn syrup at Coles, on occasions, but not sure if you still can.

[mrsmac]

I actually bought it once but never used it, I wonder how long it keeps????? I might just check Coles or use golden syrup.
This recipe sounds divine my girls and I love popcorn and a movie at home so this would be perfect.
Thankyou so much jkath.

[kyles]

It should keep indefinitely, being a sugar based syrup I doubt that it would go off, I think it would crystallise and be unusable first! These are really yummy, I had an Australian Womens Weekly book that had almost the same recipe, and I made it a lot as a teenager, I seem to recall using them as Christmas baubles one year!

[mrsmac]

Don't you love Womens weekly cookbooks? I used to have the whole set and would just get each new one or mum would buy it for me but I haven''t been up to date for a few years now. i get the odd new one but not all.

[kyles]

I still get the odd one, but not all. I love their new low fat ranges, I bought loads when I was in Australia and we get them here! Thank goodness. You just don't get clearer recipes, better pictures or better results, you always know where you are with the Weekly!

[mrsmac]

They have some new "basic" ones now with picture instructions which I have bought for my 13 yr old as she likes cooking. She got a new Italian one the other week which she is very keen to try out. I even got my dad one after mum died cause he had no idea how to make anything except BBQ.