Superbowl Sweet, Nutty & Crunchy Turtle Corn

Thinking about what "snacky" things to make for Sunday's Superbowl had me reminiscing a bit. As I considered making a big batch of Turtle Corn (among the regular wings and guac and such), it harkened me back to the days when the girls were in college. 

Care packages with tins of this crisp, crunchy and chewy, caramel, chocolate and toasted pecan confection would be either mailed to one of the girls as a surprise or sometimes tucked into the backseat for an extra special bonus during a visit from mom and dad as a sweet reminder of home. It's been a long time since I made it for the girls (it's been a long time since they were in college!), but I did pull the old recipe out again recently.

Just a couple of weekends ago, I held a special brunch for a special bunch of friends. You guessed it, Turtle Corn made the cut for the menu and held a special spot on the dessert buffet. 

Turtle Corn in a treasured Fisher's Popcorn tin from Ocean City last year. (Also pictured, Hot Curried Cashews, Gingerbread Figgy Pudding Dark Rum Trifle, Blacktop Marble Cheesecake)

Even though I did just make it for a crowd, it's the perfect casual Superbowl snack...and any leftovers are always appreciated at work! Thinking of what to serve your guests for your own big Superbowl party? Turtle Corn might be just what you're looking for!

Turtle Corn

• 4 quarts popped popcorn, checked well for unpopped or partially popped kernels and toss those away...you only want those big, beautiful, fully popped and fluffy pieces! (I use mushroom popcorn these days because they're bigger and fuller like the premium popcorn places use. Amazon, of course, carries it.)

• 3 C sugar
• 1 C water
• 1 C light unsulphered molasses
• 6 T butter
• 4 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 t salt
• 1 t baking soda

• 1 pound pecan halves, toasted in the oven at 300 degrees until warmed and fragrant - watch carefully so they don't burn
• 6 oz chocolate chips, melted

Prepare to put this together quickly as the caramel mixture will harden in a hurry. Put the popcorn and toasted pecans into a very large container - I use a canning kettle or a crab pot - before you start the caramel. Also prepare 2 large rimmed cookie sheets by buttering them lightly. 

In a large, deep, heavy bottomed pot, combine water, molasses, butter, vinegar and salt. Cook over medium high heat until your candy thermometer reaches 260 degrees (hard ball stage). 

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Mixture will bubble up and then turn "creamy." (This is why you use such a large pot, you don't want to risk having this boil over on your stove or on YOU!) Once the bubbling subsides and the mixture well combined, immediately pour it over the waiting popcorn and pecans. Using a long wooden or metal spoon - not plastic, stir and mix until the popcorn is completely covered. Be careful not to touch the caramel, it will be one nasty burn, I assure you.

Remember those buttered, rimmed cookie sheets? Immediately turn the caramel corn onto the two cookie sheets, dividing equally. Use your spoon to spread the mixture on the cookie sheets. Let the caramel corn cool completely. 

Once cooled, break into pieces and drizzle with half the melted chocolate. Let the chocolate set, turn the pieces over and drizzle with the remaining chocolate. Let set and dry completely before storing in an airtight container or large ziptop bags.

This is the "mushroom" popcorn I used from Amazon. "Mushroom" refers to the shape of the popcorn.

Elvis Protein Bars

A really healthy, high protein recipe on Dinner Plan-it? Here's Kimber!









Well, look who is back again. Me! I know, I know...another long hiatus, but I am back for a post...and you'll be seeing a bit more from me too here and there.

Life is ever changing, to say the least. No longer am I a Clevelander. Once again, Pittsburgh is my home. Yep, you got that right, I've moved back after many years to help with my Dad.

One thing he needs the most (besides a new heart) is good food packed with protein, so along with homecooked meals loaded with chicken, beef, beans and lean pork (he won't eat most of the hospital "food"), I've been experimenting with protein bars, protein breads and all sorts of stuff to pump up his protein level. Somme attempts have been epic fails, some turned out okay, but the one I will share with you today is top notch. I can attest to this because my dad really liked these protein bars, I liked them, but most surprising of all, my mom LOVED them!

So here is what I have for you. It's a nod to Elvis' favorite peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich. The result is a little bit of rock n roll made up of a bit of smooth and crunchy peanuttiness, a little maple-y, banana-y sweetness, a punch of protein and the salty smokiness of bacon. Yes. Bacon. It's what I like to call Elvis Protein Bars!

For the protein, I used Muscle Pharm Combat Protein. It has an excellent nutrition profile and the taste is awesome. I purchase it through Bodybuilding.com or Musclepharm.com. You can certainly use other proteins, but of the ones I've tried I just found this to be the best tasting product for this particular recipe.

If you work out - like I do - or just need a pick-me-up during the day, this might be the rockin' recipe for you.

Elvis Protein Bars

• 1 1/4 C dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 2/3 C Muscle Pharm Combat Protein, Banana flavor (4 scoops)
• 2 C oats - I used certified gluten-free oats to make these GF (for my mom)
• 1 very ripe banana
• 1 heaping t cinnamon 
• 1/3 C plus a smidge more of REAL maple syrup
• 8 slices bacon, cooked very crisp (but not burned!), crumbled
• 1/3 C dark chocolate chips - again, use gluten-free chips if you're making these GF

Put 1 cup of the peanuts and the salt into a food processor and process until it becomes peanut butter (this takes a few minutes - be patient...it will happen). 

Add protein powder, oats, banana, cinnamon and maple syrup to food processor and mix with short pulses until it comes together into a dough-like consistency. If it's too crumbly, add a bit more maple syrup, if it's too sticky, add a bit more oats (the size of the banana can be a factor in this part). Fold half of the bacon into the mixture until mixed in evenly.

Take an 8" X 8" baking pan and line with parchment paper. Press the protein bar mixture into the pan evenly.

Chop the 1/4 cup of remaining peanuts coarsely and sprinkle over top of the protein bars, then sprinkle remaining bacon on top of that. Gently press the peanuts and bacon into the top of the protein bars.

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzle over the protein bars. Place the pan in the fridge for 20 minutes to set. Once they are set, cut into 10 bars.

Nutrition Per Bar: 277 calories, 28 carbs, 12 g fat, 18 grams protein, 182 mg sodium, 11 g sugar

Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts

Waaaaay back in my misspent youth  at the Behrend campus of Penn State (when the NY state line was 15 minutes away and legal drinking age was 18), one of the tunes we danced all night to was a slightly raunchy tune that went, "Hot nuts, hot nuts...you get 'em from the peanut man." Why am I bringing that up? Every time I make one of our favorite snacks, Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts, I end up singing that song...much to the chagrin of those around me.

What are hot nuts...er...Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts? Skillet-toasted, cashews, pistachio meats, hazelnuts and almonds encased in a toffee-ish coating enhanced with chipotle powder, cumin, sea salt and lime zest. A little sweet and salty, a little smoky and spicy and a little citrus zip to bring it all together into a delightful fall or winter snack.

You know, Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts make a great homemade gift for very special friends, too. Isn't it nice not to need the peanut man to get hot nuts when you can do it yourself? Here's how.....

Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts

 

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil, or canola
• 3/4 cup whole raw almonds
• 3/4 cup whole cashews
• 3/4 cup whole hazelnuts
• 3/4 cup whole pistachio meats - buy them already shelled or enlist the kids to help
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 lime, zested - save the lime and juice for a margarita to go with!
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (cast iron) over medium-high heat.  Add the nuts and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar.  Saute until the almonds become golden brown and the sugar caramelizes, stirring constantly.
 
Remove nuts from the pan and toss in a bowl with the salt, cumin, chipotle, lime zest and remaining sugar.  Immediately spread over foil to cool.  When your nuts are cool, break them up using two forks.  Store in airtight container. 

NOTE: These go really well with a good Mexican beer or even a margarita on the rocks...that one's MY choice!

Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow

Look who is back (guest appearance?!) with a sweet and crunchy snack recipe that's easy to make and satisfies every pumpkin spice, fall-ish flavor craving that comes right along with October. Kimber brought us a twist on an old favorite...Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow!

I know it's been a while since I've contributed anything to Dinner Plan-it.  You know, life has been a little crazy between work and getting ready for my first NPC bikini competition.  With all the intense workouts and pre-competition meal prepping going on...and not the fun creative meals that I usually like...I had to make time for a little fun time mixing it up with spices!! 

 

I did something to torture myself this week, I made Pumpkin Spiced Puppy Chow. Mind you it is pretty much fall and I could eat pumpkin anything and everything and Puppy Chow is a long time favorite of mine!  I have not been able to even taste this with my prep going on, but I made a batch for work and another batch for a friend's birthday. You know what? One recipient thinks he may like this one even better than the original! 

I took my mom's recipe for puppy chow and kind of mixed that up with ideas for all sorts of pumpkin spice things out there. But come on, no matter what spices and ingredients you add or delete, it is and will always be puppy chow!

 

All tied up and ready to go - Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow!

Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow

• 1/2 Stick Butter
• 1 1/2 cup Trader Joe's cookie butter - or other cookie butter ( I just used the whole jar, and it was approx 1.5 cups) 
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 17.9 box Crispix
• 1 lb box powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups Reese's Pieces

Melt butter in saucepan, add cookie butter and pumpkin pie spice; stir until smooth.  Add chips and stir until melted, then stir in vanilla. 

Using plastic trash bag or other VERY large clean plastic bag, put 1/2 box of powdered sugar in the bottom, then cereal, then cookie butter mixture and then the rest of the powdered sugar and Reese's Pieces.  Shake and knead the bag until cereal is well-coated; cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy until you pumpkin heart is content!



Now that you've had a chance to see Kimber's original recipe, here's a gluten-free version. I tried to give the same flavor as the cookie butter (cookie butter is NOT gluten-free) only without the COOKIE part of cookie butter...hence, the use of almond butter and extra spices. 

(For those of you unfamiliar with cookie butter, it's the new hot item in hip grocery aisles. Basically, it's a spreadable "butter" made with almondy-y, ginger-y, caramel-y speculos cookies. What's not to love?!)

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow

 

• 1/2 Stick butter
• 1 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup finely minced crystallized ginger
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 12 ounce package white chocolate chips
• 1 lb box powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups Reese's Pieces
• 15 ounce box of gluten-free Chex - rice or corn variety

Melt butter in saucepan, add almond butter, crystallized ginger and spices; stir until smooth.  Add chips and stir until melted. 

Using plastic trash bag or other large clean plastic bag, put 1/2 box of powdered sugar in the bottom, then cereal, then the almond butter mixture and then the rest of the powdered sugar and Reese's Pieces. 

Shake and knead the bag until cereal is well-coated and let cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Like Kimber said...enjoy until your little pumpkin heart is content!
 

Crab Deviled Eggs, Baltimore Style

It is required that when one returns from the Maryland shore, one bring home pounds of pure, sweet, fresh, picked-by-hand, snow white and succulent Maryland blue crabmeat. At least it's required when that "one" is me. No trip to Maryland is ever complete without bringing home the bounty of the sea...or the bay.
 
When visiting Annapolis or Baltimore, the bay in question is the Chesapeake. When visiting Ocean City, the bay being referred to is the Assawoman Bay...and yes, there is also the Big Assawoman Bay AND the Little Assawoman Bay. It's an Indian name. Really!
 
There is a HUGE difference in the quality of fresh crab and the canned, pasteurized variety! ONLY real, honest to God Maryland or Virginia blue crab that is hand-picked, fresh-packed and NEVER pasteurized is what you want. 

If it comes in a can, it isn't fresh, if it comes in a plastic container with a snap-on lid and says Maryland or Virginia crab, that's what you're looking for. 

But be careful! Sometimes you'll find the phrase, "Packed in Maryland" and elsewhere it says it's from Indonesia or China or Vietnam. That's the pasteurized stuff in the can that tries to make you think it's Maryland crab. Packed in Maryland? How do they preserve it over all that distance? Eek! Okay...I'll get off my American blue crab is superior to any other crab soapbox now.
 
Now that I've brought the good stuff home, do I ever have plans for the crabmeat! Specifically, deviled eggs. CRAB deviled eggs! These are a recreation of a dish I delighted in many (many) years ago when Uncle Harry treated me, my sister, Mom & Dad and my grandmother to a fancy dinner in downtown Baltimore. 

An hors doeuvres cart came by each table at the restaurant offering all variety of tiny bites before dinner...all you wanted. The cart, laden with little treasures of crab, cheese, lobster, shrimp, meats, fruits and vegetables in all sorts of preparations, circled the room and wound its way among the tables all through dinner.
 
Being a big deviled egg fan, that's what I chose - it was fancy, of course. Instead of sliced horizontally, it stood on end with a zigzag cut across the top and heaps of creamy egg filling with CRAB! Wow. Crab deviled eggs instantly became my favorite deviled egg ever! And that was the very last time I got to experience one. Until Sunday.
 
My presentation wasn't as fancy - I didn't stand them on end or zigzag the tops - but they were everything I remembered. Smooth, creamy, just a little crunch of celery, spicy with Old Bay and sweet with REAL Maryland crabmeat...crowned with a fat lump of backfin crab and dusted with just a touch more of Old Bay. Heaven.
 
Here's the recipe. Oh, and Iris? I WILL be making these for YOU!

 Crab Deviled Eggs, Baltimore Style

• 7 eggs, hardboiled,cooled, shelled, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seafood seasoning, plus extra to dust the tops of the deviled eggs
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, Colmans!
• 5 tablespoons mayonnaise, Hellmans!
• 2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Maryland backfin crab, remove any shell and/or cartiledge - In addition, set aside the largest crab lumps from the top of the container to garnish each deviled egg

Carefully remove the yolks from each cooled hardboiled egg half to a small bowl. When all the cooked yolks are in the bowl, mash them very well with a fork until finely crumbled. Sprinkle the mashed yolks with Old Bay, celery and dry mustard. Mix the Worcestershire and mayo together then pour over the egg yolks and seasonings. Mix very well - add more mayo if it seems too thick or more Old Bay if it doesn't seem to have enough spice.
 
Once the egg mixture is ready, GENTLY fold in 1/2 cup of crab and mix completely without breaking up the crab too much. You don't want the big lumps for this anyway. The reserved big lumps will be the garnish for each egg half once the whites are filled.
 
Mound the egg crab mixture into the centers of each white, dividing evenly. Garnish with a nice big crab lump and dust with Old Bay. Place each deviled egg half into a deviled egg tray that hold 12 deviled eggs. But there are 2 extra! Put the nicest ones in the dish and the other two are YOURS! Reward time!


NOTE: Notice I used only 1/2 a cup from the container? The rest of the pound - 3/4 pound - went to make the Maryland Corn Jalapeno Crab Imperial I posted yesterday. I made the MOST of that pound of crabmeat!

Avocado Deviled Eggs with Truffle

Stuck with with a basket of brightly colored hardboiled eggs the Easter bunny left behind? Egg salad on the dinner menu AGAIN?! How does something just a little different, but still familiar, sound to have those eggs eaten up in a hurry? Sort of a deviled-egg-meets-guacamole appetizer with just a little flair is what I have in mind.

What inspired this dish? A lone avocado sitting in the molcajete didn't quite make it into the last batch of guac. No way I was going to let it go to waste when it was just at the "use it or lose it" stage. The soft creaminess of the beautifully ripe avocado kept "egging" me on to try something new.

Hmmmm...that nearly egg-shaped avocado would mash up with hardboiled yolks into an even smoother, creamier filling than normal. And what would go better with avocado  than jalapenos? Nada. 

Hmmmm (again)...the traditional mustard used in deviled eggs might overpower delicate avocado, what else might lend a savory, umami accent? The answer sat right on the kitchen countertop. Truffle salt! Just that easily a new recipe was born. And made. And tasted. And approved!

Not wanting to depend on my opinion alone, the pickled jalapeño-garnished cuties were packed up for an evening with friends at my favorite cocktail establishment (Acacia!) for testing. Eggs were sampled by friends and bar staff both. The result? Smiles and thumbs up all around! Here's the recipe to get the same happy outcome from your very own taste testers!

Avocado Deviled Eggs with Truffle

Serves 6

• 6 eggs, hardboiled, cooled, shells removed, sliced in half lengthwise, yolks removed into small bowl and set aside; egg white halves set aside on a plate
• 1 avocado, nicely soft and ripe
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 jalapeno chile pepper, seeds and veins removed, VERY finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon truffle salt (if you can't find truffle salt, try using smoked salt - see below for where to find truffle salt)
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more if needed for consistency
• pickled jalapenos slices, cut into pieces

In a small bowl, mash reserved hardboiled yolks with a fork until fine. Add avocado and lemon juice and mash again with a fork until the avocado and yolks are well mixed. Add the jalapeno, Tabasco, Worchestershire sauce, truffle salt and mayo. If the mixture is too stiff, add mayo a little at a time until piping consistency.
 
Using a zip top sandwich or quart bag, spoon the mixture into the bag being sure to load it into one corner. When the bag is 3/4 of the way full, squeeze out the air and zip the top securely. Snip off a corner of the bag large enough to pipe the mixture into the center of the egg white easily.

Pipe the egg/avocado mixture evenly into the hollows of the whites. Decorate the tops with small pieces of pickled jalapeno to garnish.

Await your OWN smiles and thumbs ups!

NOTE: Truffle salt (I HIGHLY recommend using it...not just for this recipe, but for fried eggs, popcorn, rice...anything to give your finished dish that extra something special) can be ordered at Gourmet Delights online. I use them regularly!

Where There's Smoke There's....Smoky, Spicy Pumpkin Hummus

It's Sunday. The game is coming up in just an hour. Question: What am I making after one busy (but FUN!) weekend with not much time to make something snack-ish?  Answer: Smoky, Spicy Pumpkin Hummus!  

Pumpkin hummus is football snacktime magic.  Rich and satisfying, yet relatively low in calories, high in Vitamin A, folic acid, protein, potassium, and fiber...it's practically a wonder food!  

If you promise not to tell, I'll share a little secret...feel free to use the same technique if you need to.  My hubby doesn't react well to the word "hummus."  To his ears, hummus means healthy and boring and it must not taste good.  So I went back to basics called it bean dip.  

Hey! I didn't lie!  Garbanzo beans ARE beans and you DIP things into the hummus, therefore it IS bean dip. He's always loved bean dip...and now he loves pumpkin hummus, too.  We all know it's all in how you market things.

Here's the recipe...you have just enough time to make it before the game!

Smoky, Spicy Pumpkin Hummus

• 14 ounces garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15-oz. can of pumpkin, NOT pie filling - just canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper, dried powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt, non-fat Fage Greek yogurt

Process garbanzo beans in food processor until VERYfinely chopped.  

With motor running, add garlic and remaining ingredients and process until smooth.  Taste for seasoning adding additional salt and pepper if needed or more lemon juice.

Serve with corn chips to make it more dip-ish and less hummus-y than pita bread makes it seem. (Is that sneaky?)

NOTE:  If you like less spicy things, start with half the cayenne and half the chipotle...add a little at a time until it's just how you like it!

On the Road Again. Or...Watch Out Michigan!

On the road again!  This time Mark and I are heading to Michigan to visit our daughter and son-in-law, two grandsons and our only granddaughter.  I LOVE the holidays!  We don't need a holiday to make the trek up north, but holiday excitement always makes it even more fun than usual.

While we're there, Mieke and I will have a chance to do a little (um...make that a LOT!) of cooking together.  Fun!

Mieke and Tall Matt are having a get-together while we're there. Turns out, I'm not the only one who is eating gluten-free now....Jackie is, too!  So I'm taking along my Mochaccino Chex Mix.  Thank you Chex for being gluten-free now...well, except for the Wheat Chex kind, of course.  

This snack mix is chocolate-y, cinnamon-y, coffee-flavored crunchy deliciousness with little pillows of marshmallow melting everything all together....and it's addictive!

Mochaccino Chex Mix

• 1/2 box corn chex®, chocolate variety (check to be sure it's gluten-free!)
• 1/2 box corn chex, cinnamon variety (check to be sure it's gluten-free!)
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, extra dark
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 1/2 cups almonds, dry-roasted, a whole jar of the brown sugar cinnamon variety

   

Preheat oven to 250.
 

Stir espresso powder and cocoa powder into melted butter until well blended.  Add maple syrup & mix well.
 

In a LARGE roasting pan, mix chocolate chex and nuts, pour butter mixture over all and mix WELL.
 

Bake for an hour stirring every 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and mix marshmallows in completely (you'll see them start to melt slightly and hold the cereal together).  Let cool completely and store in zip top plastic bag.

NOTE:  One of my grandsons has a severe peanut and tree nut allergy.  So he can enjoy the mix, too, I substituted crushed gluten-free pretzels for the almonds this time.  Everyone can enjoy it...even the lucky people without food issues! 

Aunt Katie's Halloween Better-Than-Popcorn Balls

Happy Halloween!

I have a question.  What happened to GOOD halloween candy?  What's up with all these teeny, tiny, itty-bitty, shrink-wrapped and sanitized fun-sized candy bars that you need a handful of to satisfy your sweet tooth? Where do they get "fun" in those things? They miniaturized the fun right out of them!


When I was a kid, we stood on the front porch, the door opened to a chorus of "Trick or Treat" and FULL SIZE Milky Ways, Snickers, Baby Ruth and Clark Bars rocketed into the bottom of our pillowcases. Yeah, no fancy schmancy goodie holders for us, we slung those pillowcase sacks over our backs and trudged from house to house in our HOMEMADE costumes, hauling home a bounty of full-sugar, cavity-producing he-man sized treats. Sometimes we had to go home, unload and head right back out again, hit even more streets and bring home yet another pillowcase full. Ah, those were the days.


The candy bars were good, but the homemade goodies were the best! Innocent times, to be sure, when it was safe to eat the homemade popcorn balls, cookies, cupcakes and caramel apples that sweet little old neighbor ladies lovingly handed out to the goblins of the night. I still like to make the homemade stuff for "special" neighborhood kids. Oh sure, they get the FULL SIZE candy bar I tuck into their designer Halloween bags, but the kids I know well, whose moms and/or dads are standing right with them at the door also get a special treat that I've made in the kitchen.

My favorite homemade Halloween treat is akin to a popcorn ball, but is made with puffed rice instead - no unpopped kernels to break a tooth! My Aunt Katie used to make these when I was a kid. Here is her recipe:

Aunt Katie's Halloween Treats

Makes 30  balls

• 1/2     cup  butter
• 2        cups  sugar
• 2        cups  light corn syrup
• 1/2     cup  water
• 1/2     teaspoon  salt
• 2        teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 2        packages  puffed rice cereal -- In a bag.

Combine all ingredients but cereal and cook to hard ball stage (250 degrees to 266 degrees on a candy thermometer; without a candy thermometer, cook until a little of the syrup dropped into a cup of cold water, forms a hard ball between your fingers). 


Pour over cereal while warm and mix well with wooden spoon (a strong one!).  Butter hands and shape into balls (working quickly before it hardens in the pan).  Wrap individually in squares of wax paper.
 
(145 Calories each)


NOTES : If you make these with gluten-free puffed rice, they are GF!