NEW HALLOWEEN RECIPES

Popcorn Witches Hat

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup light molasses
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 quarts warm popped popcorn
Licorice strings
Candy corn
12 inch cake board circle, sprayed black with food coloring air brush spray
Black spray food coloring
Black cake decorating frosting

Directions:
Combine sugar, molasses, water and salt in a heavy sauce pan. Over medium heat, cook, stirring until sugar dissolves, scraping sugar from sides of sauce pan with a spatula. Continue to cook until it reaches 270 degrees F. on a candy thermometer (the soft-crack stage). Remove from heat and stir in butter. Pour glaze over popcorn and mix well.

Using a large sized, buttered kitchen funnel, pack mixture inside and press firmly as you go. The recipe above will fill one large funnel which can be used as a centerpiece on your treats table. Immediately turn over the mold and tap to release if it doesn't drop out. If any shaping is still needed, use your buttered hands to shape it. Let cool.

While it cools, take the 12 inch cake board and spray it black. You can find, in most grocery stores cake decorating sections, air brush food color spray for cookies and cakes. This works on the cake board as well. Spray and let dry, if a second coat is needed, do it now. To assemble hat, place popcorn cone on a 12-inch black cake board circle ( you can also use a 12-inch black plate). Decorate brim of hat with candy corn and a licorice string tie, securing with cake decorating frosting.

You can use this as a centerpiece for your treats table, it can also be eaten by cutting slices off or just pulling pieces out of the pointed hat section.