Caramel Corn Balls with Dried Fruit
Ronnie's Notes
You can use any kind of dried fruit for these crunchy treats; if you like, make them with packaged, chopped dried “fruit bits.”
Prep time: less than 15 minutes
Region: West
Instructions
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or popcorn popper.
Add the popcorn kernels and cook over moderately high heat until all the kernels have popped.
Place the popped corn in a large bowl.
Combine the brown sugar, salt, water, corn syrup and vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the mixture starts to boil.
Raise the heat to high and cook until the mixture reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Quickly pour over the popped corn.
Stir in the raisins and fruit.
Let cool slightly.
Butter your hands lightly and shape the mixture into balls.
HOT TIP: If you don’t have a candy thermometer, here’s how to test the temperature: drop a small amount of the mixture into a dish of cold water.
A hard ball should form.