Cinnamon-Apple Popcorn Balls
10 cups popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup unpopped)
1 1/2 cups granola
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup red cinnamon candies
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
One 6 oz package dried apples, finely chopped
10 to 12 wooden sticks (for candy apples or popsicle sticks)
Remove any unpopped kernels from popped popcorn; discard.
Place popcorn in greased 17- by 12- by 2- inch baking pan;
stir in granola. Place in a 300 degree F oven.
For syrup, butter the sides of a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan.
In the saucepan combine sugar, water, candies, vinegar and
salt. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat until boiling,
stirring constantly to dissolve sugar and candies; about
6 minutes. Avoid splashing syrup on the sides of pan.
Carefully clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
Cook over medium heat until the thermometer registers
270 degrees F (soft-crack stage), stirring constantly.
The syrup should boil at a moderate, steady rate over the
entire surface. Reaching soft-crack stage should take
20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat; remove
the thermometer.
Stir dried apples into the popcorn mixture; pour the hot
syrup over mixture. Stir gently to coat popcorn. Working
quickly, with buttered hands, shape mixture into 10 to 12
3-inch popcorn balls, placing a wooden stick in the center of each.
Wrap the balls in clear plastic wrap. Makes about 10 popcorn balls.
Source: Kentucky New Era newspaper, Oct 23, 1991
Chocolate Popcorn Balls
9 quarts popped popcorn
Combine the following ingredients in a large soup pot:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white corn syrup
2/3 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons baking cocoa
Cook over medium heat until it comes to a rolling boil,
stirring often. Lower heat and continue to boil until
mixture reaches very firm soft ball, 235 degrees F on
a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.
Pour over popcorn and mix well. Let cool slightly.
With buttered hands form into balls and place on wax
paper sandwich bags or squares of wax paper to store.
Source: Marysville Globe newspaper, Oct 24, 2007
Caramel Popcorn Balls
1/2 pound (28 caramels) Kraft Caramels
2 tablespoons water
2 quarts popped popcorn
salt to taste
Place Kraft Caramels and water in top
of a double boiler. Heat, stirring
frequently, until the caramels are
melted and the sauce is smooth.
Pour caramel sauce over 2 quarts of
salted, popped popcorn placed in a
large bowl, and toss until every kernel
is coated. With hands slightly
moistened with cold water, form into
6 balls.
Source: Kraft Caramel ad in the Spokane, WA Spokesman-Review
newspaper, Sunday, Jan 26, 1957
Nut-Orange Popcorn Balls from 1940
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cream
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 cup broken walnuts or peanuts
2 quarts popped popcorn
Combine sugar, cream and orange juice
and cook over low heat, stirring
constantly until sugar is dissolved.
Increase heat and cook to 290 degrees F.
or until hard ball forms when a little
of mixture is dropped in cold water.
Remove from heat and add butter and
orange rind. Combine nuts and popped
corn. Pour cooked syrup slowly over
popped corn, stirring and turning
until evenly coated. Shape into balls
and wrap in waxed paper.
Source: San Jose News newspaper, Friday, Nov 1, 1940
Jell-O Flavored Popcorn Balls
12 cups popped popcorn
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 package (3.4 oz) Jell-O gelatin, any flavor
1 1/2 cups Planters Cocktail peanuts (optional)
Place popcorn in a large bowl.
Mix sugar and syrup in saucepan; bring to a boil.
Remove from heat. Add package of gelatin; stir until
dissolved. Add peanuts.
Pour over popcorn; mix well. Cool about 5 minutes.
Shape into 18 popcorn balls, about 3 inches in diameter.
Note: For ease in handling, grease hands lightly before
shaping popcorn mixture into balls.
Homemade Cracker Jacks
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup margarine
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 quarts popped popcorn
Peanuts or mixed nuts
Boil together first four ingredients for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla.
Pour over and stir into popped corn and nuts in large stockpot.
Stir to coat. Spread out in a large pan or cookie sheet and bake
in oven at 200 degrees F, stirring every 15 minutes until crispy.
Store in an airtight container.
Soruce: Greybull, WY Greybull Standard newspaper, Dec 14, 2006