Quaker Puffed Rice Balls

Yield: about 10 baseball-size balls

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• About 6 cups puffed rice cereal

Instructions

1. Boil syrup, molasses, sugar and vinegar until it snaps when tested in cold water (see note).
2. Remove from heat, add butter, allow bubbling to die down, then pour over puffed rice.
3. Mix well with a spoon and, when slightly cool, form into balls.

Notes

This recipe refers to the "hard crack" stage in candy making. Cook the syrup to 300 to 310 degrees F (using a candy-making thermometer). To test, drop a small amount of syrup into very cold water. If the syrup separates into hard, brittle threads, it's ready to be removed from the heat.