What’s better than a great big ball of popcorn? I fondly remember making them in elementary school as a kid. Not only are they fun and easy to make, but as I recall they were tasty, too. Here is one popular version of this old fashioned and nostalgic holiday treat:
Ingredients:
- 12 cups freshly popped popcorn
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
You’ll also need
- Colorful sprinkles
- Vegetable cooking spray
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Meanwhile, spray a large roasting pan with vegetable cooking spray. Add the freshly made popcorn to the roasting tray and place in oven to keep popcorn warm.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Whisk constantly and bring to a boil. Continue stirring and boiling for 2 minutes. Remove syrup mixture from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and baking soda.
- Remove the popcorn from the oven. Immediately pour the syrup mixture over the warm popcorn, stirring to coat.
- Quickly put on food prep gloves and spray them with the vegetable cooking spray. Working fast, shape the popcorn into twelve 3-inch round popcorn balls.
- While warm and sticky, roll each ball in colorful sprinkles.
- Let the popcorn balls cool completely. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Store balls up to five days.
Tip to give as an edible holiday ornament gift: Wrap a long flat ribbon around the wrapped treat. Tie it at the top and loop it so that it can hang on the tree like a holiday ornament. Add holiday stickers to the outside wrapping.
Recipe source:
Control the Mess
Do you like or make popcorn balls? What holiday treats are you nostalgic for? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
