Molasses Corn Balls

Now, this takes me back to childhood! Who remembers making molasses corn balls as a young child?! It is a perfect kitchen project to do with young children, because they will love getting their hands all sticky, and spend half the time busily eating the product they are putting together.

I made half a recipe, which made nine balls approx three inches diameter. Tasty and fun! And when the recipe says use buttered hands to make these balls, believe the recipe, and re-butter the hands every time you go to make a ball. I tried to make a second ball without buttering my hands in-between, and had a Sticky Fail. Easily solved by liberal applications of butter to the hands.

The recipe suggests cooking the molasses, brown sugar, butter mixture to the hard crack stage, but I decided to go with the soft ball stage instead (about 235-245 degrees). I'm more familiar with eyeballing that stage (altho I did get out the candy thermometer and check it) because of making so many monkey breads for my stepdaughters on the weekends they were home with us when they were young.

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