Puffed Wheat Balls

If you grew up on the prairies, you already know these. Puffed wheat balls are a Canadian classic, right up there with Nanaimo bars and butter tarts.

The caramel is the star: brown sugar and corn syrup boiled together with butter, evaporated milk, and white sugar until it hits soft-ball stage on a candy thermometer. Then you pour it over a big bowl of puffed wheat cereal and stir until every piece is coated in sticky, buttery caramel.

Shape them into balls while they’re still warm and tacky, and let them set.

They’re chewy, sweet, and slightly crunchy all at once. The kind of thing that disappears from bake sales before you’ve even set down the plate.

Pro Tips

• Use a candy thermometer. The cold water test works, but a thermometer takes the guesswork out. You’re aiming for 240°F (soft ball stage).
• Work fast once you pour the caramel over the cereal. It starts to set quickly, and cold caramel won’t stick properly.
• Wet your hands before shaping the balls. The caramel is sticky beyond belief, and damp hands keep it from gluing itself to your fingers.
• Don’t overcook the caramel. Past soft-ball stage, it hardens into something closer to a jawbreaker than a treat.