Popcorn Brittle
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Welcome to a month of candy-making on the REAL FOOD HAS CURVES blog! All through December, Bruce will be doing his sugar magic, as per The Ultimate Candy Book. I'll be providing the color commentary. And no, we don't have a cross-promotion deal with the American Dental Association. If there's one thing I learned growing up in stand-on-your-own-two-feet Texas, it's this: you take care of your bridge work and I'll take care of mine.
Candy. Yum. But isn't that difficult? you might ask.
Funny you should ask. Not at all. Provided you have the proper equipment. That is, a candy thermometer. You can't make candy without one. Don't even try. Would you go to war without a gun?
Popcorn brittle is a real favorite at our house. It's like peanut brittle, except Bruce has swapped out popcorn for the peanuts, thereby turning it into a (sort of) healthy treat. OK, healthy-ish. OK, not even that, much to my fat hips' damnation. Just leave me to my delusions. I'll leave you to a homemade candy that's like Cracker Jacks but without the cheap, plastic ring. Although you can put one in if you want. What you do in the privacy of your own home is your own business. That's something else I learned in Texas. At least, that's the way it used to be down there. I understand these days they're installing video cameras in every bedroom.
First, you need about 6 cups popped popcorn. Air-popped is best. Not as greasy. I mean, butter is a beverage, but come on: have some dignity. Once you've got it popped, grab it up by handfuls and crush it into smaller bits. It'll collapse down to about 3 cups or so. But more is better. Within reason. (Insert obligatory off-color joke here.)
Lay a large silicone baking mat (or two together as Bruce did) on your work surface--IF it's granite or can otherwise take the heat. If not, lay the mat (or mats) on turned-upside-down baking sheets (that way, the heat doesn't transfer directly to the laminate, forcing you to get granite counters before you want to). Don't have any silicone baking mats? Then lightly butter a couple baking sheets--but be careful of that transferring heat thing.
No matter what else you do, lightly butter a rolling pin and set it aside.
On to the candy. Mix 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar, 6 tablespoons light corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bruce uses a fancy, all-copper pan, designed for candy-making. In truth, any will do. Sheesh, men and their tools. I tire of admiring the fancy ones.
Stir the mixture over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. It'll happen quite quickly, usually in less than a minute. Then clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan and continue heating undisturbed until the temperature reaches 270F, about 10 minutes. But there's no real way to time it out. This is chemistry, kids. The whole shtick is based on ambient temperature, air pressure, and humidity. Weren't you paying attention in 11th grade?
Neither was I. Just don't step away. Watch. And if you've got any kids or pets, keep them from getting underfoot. After all, you're taking the stuff up to temperatures way hotter than the boiling point of water.
Once the mixture hits 270F, stir in 3 tablespoons molasses and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. The mess will roil furiously, like Southern Baptist suddenly among Methodists. But fear not! Just stir it--Bruce uses his sturdy thermometer--until it calms down.
Now continue heating, stirring once in a while, until the temperature hits 290F. This will go faster, maybe just a couple minutes.
The minute the mixture hits 290F, take the pan off the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Why the baking soda? Because it alters the ph to help the candy set. See, this really is chemistry. Plus, as you'll see, the stuff will really froth and foam. That added air will create a fantastic, light, lacy crunch.
You'll also notice that the consistency changes dramatically. Without delay, stir in all the popcorn with a wooden spoon.
While still as hot as Lucifer's breath, pour the mixture out onto the prepared surface and use the greased rolling pin to roll it out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Then set it aside for 1 hour before breaking it up into little bits that you can store in tins, containers, or cellophane bags.
See, that wasn't so tough. You've got it down. It's all about the thermometer. And not getting burned. So you're ready to move on to something more complicated. Like marshmallows, up next on the blog.
Reader Comments (3)
Forget the prize. The advantage this has over Cracker Jacks is easy edibility. Cracker Jack boxes always have crumbs at the end. Sticky crumbs, which are even worse. But homemade Cracker Jacks in brittle form is genius!
How long can this be stored?
Sarahp: Depends on the weather, to be honest. It can get gooey in about four or five days in a humid place (like our New England can be). It can last a good two weeks in Arizona or New Mexico. Definitely store it in an air-tight container--on the counter, not in the fridge.
Hope this helps!
M.