Jack O' Lantern and Indian Popcorn Ears
6 quarts unsalted popped popcorn
Glaze:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
3/4 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Small colored candies
Licorice strings
Green gumdrops
Keep popcorn hot and crisp in a 300 degree F oven.
Combine sugar, orange juice concentrate, cranberry juice, corn syrup, vinegar
and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook over medium heat to hard-ball
stage (250 degrees F on candy thermometer). Pour glaze in thin stream over popcorn
in a large buttered bowl and mix well.
Working quickly with buttered hands, form two-thirds of mixture into basic
shape of pumpkin. Shape remainder into ears of corn. To apply finishing touches,
heat a little corn syrup, brush on corn ears, press small candies firmly in
place to resemble Indian corn; cover with green paper napkin or cellophane to
resemble shucks. Make pumpkin's eyes, nose and mouth from licorice strings and
apply as above; cut gumdrop to make a stem.
Yield: One Jack-O'-Lantern and six ears of corn.