Popcorn Balls
- COOK TIME
- 10 Min
Kids love popcorn, and they love to help in the kitchen, so this must be a perfect combination!
What You'll Need
- 4 quarts popped popcorn
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup light or dark corn syrup
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil, vegetable shortening, or additional butter for greasing hands
What to Do
- Place the popped popcorn in a large stainless-steel mixing bowl in a 200 degree F. oven to keep warm while preparing the coating.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, water, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking without stirring until the temperature reaches 270 degree F. on a candy thermometer or until a small amount of the syrup mixture dropped into very cold water separates into threads which are hard but not brittle.
- Remove mixture from the heat. Stir in the vanilla, then slowly pour the syrup over the popcorn, stirring with a wooden spoon to coat every kernel.
- When the popcorn is cool enough to handle, but still warm, grease your hands and shape the popcorn into 2-inch balls. Let the balls cool at room temperature.
Makes about twenty 2-1/2 inch balls.
Notes
Kids, make sure your parents help you because the sugar mixture is very hot.
