When Halloween comes around, parents everywhere are trying to come up with strategies for containing the inevitable sugar overload. Some of the more creative techniques involve paying kids for their candy (and probably eating it yourself) and only giving them a pint-size bucket for collecting candy.
Parents worry that whatever they do, they’re creating a sugar-addicted monster. According to a recent National Public Radio report, researchers believe that sugar cravings are due in part to biology and that kids’ sugar cravings will decrease as they grow.
This doesn’t mean there’s no need to help your kid make good eating choices. If you participate in Halloween, sugar is unavoidable. So I’ve turned my focus into something I can control. I make sure my daughter eats at home before we go trick-or-treating. We eat a real dinner, as a family — I don’t change around my schedule just for Halloween.
After dinner I still give my daughter a homemade dessert, just to take the edge off the sugar craving. That helps alleviate any tantrums over how many pieces of candy she’s allowed to eat on Halloween. She loves popcorn balls, so I came up with my Halloween-candy version.
I prefer brown rice syrup to corn syrup; it has a similar texture and is very sweet with a deep molasses flavor. I make caramel using brown rice syrup and peanut butter; the latter lends the treat an element of salt to pair with the popcorn. Then there’s chocolate, the obvious choice as a bitter contrast.
Yes, my daughter will be eating candy on Halloween. I’m not trying to kid myself. But there’s a chance she’ll start to recognize the difference in the quality of what’s inside that shiny wrapper and what comes out of the kitchen.
I would pass these out to the trick-or-treaters, but I know we’ll be finishing them all at home.
The main danger with this recipe is burning the caramel. I have done this many times until I realized that I need to be patient with the heat. Keep the heat at medium low and stir often, and take the pan off the stove as soon as the sugar melts. You can also use this caramel as a dip for fruit (even better!) or as a binder in a crispy rice treat. These are chewy, sweet and dense.
Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn Balls
1 cup smooth natural peanut butter
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup corn kernels, popped (more than 2 quarts popped)
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon margarine, butter or coconut oil
In medium saucepan with thick bottom, combine peanut butter, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, white sugar and water. Heat over medium low, stirring often with wooden spoon.
When caramel gets very hot and sugar melts completely, remove from stove.
Immediately stir caramel into popcorn, folding it with wooden spoon until popcorn is evenly coated.
Place chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl and heat 30 seconds. Stir, then return to microwave for 10-second intervals, stirring after each until completely melted (about 30 seconds).
Form balls while popcorn is warm. Coat hands with a small amount of margarine, butter or coconut oil, and scoop slightly less than 2 cups of popcorn. Press together and form into ball, not squeezing too tightly. Place on cookie sheet and repeat with rest of popcorn.
Dip popcorn balls in chocolate or drizzle chocolate onto popcorn, using about a tablespoon per treat.
Serve immediately or chill to set chocolate, and then wrap in plastic wrap and eat within a day. Serves 8.
Nutritional information unavailable.
———
Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at www.thelittlefoodie.com.
