Pop Corn Snack Favorite!

Sweet popcorn, I start making these treats from Halloween right up to New Years! When finished, the treats are baseball sized or bigger. These snacks are great with movies and extremely satifying!

Ingredients:

Clear Corn Syrup (1 cup)
Table Sugar (1 cup)
Water (3/4 cup)
White Vinegar (1/8 tablespoon)
Vanilla Extract (1 tablespoon -less if very concentrated)
Butter (1/2 tablespoon or pat)
Food Dye (your preference- a couple of drops should do and can be left out if desired)
Popcorn (a freshly made large tub or 8oz bag)
Salt (a pinch)

Utensils:

Large Serving Platter- for cooling the popcorn and for serving the finished product,
Medium Sauce Pan- for boiling the candy coating,
Large Bowl- to hold and mix the hot (very hot) ingredients when preparing,
Large Plastic Baker's Spoons- for mixing the coating and popcorn,
Creamy Butter in a tub- you will use this in coating surfaces and your hands,
Table spoon(s),
Measuring cup,
Short Coffee Cup filled with cold tap water (your test water)

How To:

Pre-pop or buy the popcorn. Set it aside. Prepare your serving/receiving tray by coating it's face with a little cream butter. Prepare your mixing bowl with a light coating of butter inside and by putting the popcorn in it. Prepare your cold "testing" water in the short coffee cup and set it aside. Let your kitchen tap trickle some cool water. Put the table sugar, clear corn syrup, water, vinegar, butter, vanilla extract, food dye and a pinch of salt into the sauce pan. Mix the ingredients and bring the mixture up to a controlled boil. You want it to melt down and boil liquid off to make an unburnt, sweet tasting coating for your popcorn. Don't over do it. Your mixture should have brisk bubbles without browning. Stir the mixture as often as needed. Test the mixture for readiness by dipping a spoon of the hot mixture out and dropping a small amount into the cold "testing" water. If the mixture is right, it should form a soft, rounded droplet on the bottom of the cup and feel tacky if pressed. Change the water as often as needed to have a clear view of the result. The mixture must be right or your popcorn balls will not hold together. Be careful not to over cook the mixture. Overcooking the mixture will create a hard substance not unlike rock candy and it will not be usable as a coating. Once you see the correct indicator of readiness, turn off the heat and drizzle the coating over the popcorn in the mixing bowl. Mix the popcorn and coating together well before it sets up. Now you will want to take creamy butter from the tub to coat your hands. The cool butter will help fade the heat as you lightly press the popcorn together to form balls. You might want to do this near a sink with some cool water in it for just in case you get too much coating on your hand. Re-coat your hands with creamy butter as needed to maintain the barrier. The candy coating sometimes builds up at the bottom of the mixing bowl, so do be careful! You do not want to have a large glob of the hot candy coating to stick to your finger. As you finish balling up the popcorn, place the finished piece onto the receiving tray to cool enough to be eaten.

Alternatives:

Popcorn balls are good as above, but variety is the spice of life. You could have a helper to over coat the popcorn balls with peanut sprinkles, confetti cake candy toppings, cashew dust or your own favorite. You could change out the vanilla extract for another flavor such as cinnamon or lemon if you like those flavors better. Experiment! The treat is a favorite anytime of year, enjoy!