Caramel Corn

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark molasses 
1/2 tablespoon vinegar 
1/2 cup light Karo syrup 
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1 teaspoon burnt sugar flavoring

Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon soda. Pour over 6 to 8 quarts popped corn. Stir to cover well. Spread on two cookie sheets. Bake 250° for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Molasses Popcorn Balls

10 cups popped popcorn
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup molasses
1 tsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbs. butter or margarine

Put sugar, water, molasses, vinegar and salt into a pot. Heat & stir until it starts to boil. Boil gently, without stirring, until it reaches the hard ball stage.

Remove from heat. Add butter/margarine. Pour over popcorn in a large bowl.

Mix until popcorn is coated with syrup. Form into balls.

Makes 12 - 15 popcorn balls. Hard ball stage is 270F or when you drop a bit in cold water and it forms a hard ball.

1  cup  sugar
1/2  cup  butter or margarine
1/2  cup  light corn syrup
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
2  (3-ounce) packages microwave popcorn, popped (16 cups)
1  cup  mixed nuts (optional)

Silly Popcorn Treats

18 cups popped popcorn
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
Gummy worms, candy corn, and other Halloween candies

1. Remove all unpopped kernels from popped popcorn. Put popcorn in a greased 17x12x2-inch baking or roasting pan. Keep popcorn warm in a 300 degree F oven.

2. For syrup mixture, butter the sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. In saucepan combine sugar, water, corn syrup, vinegar, and salt. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils, stirring to dissolve sugar (about 6 minutes).

3. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Reduce heat to medium; continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 250 degrees F, hard-ball stage (about 20 minutes).

4. Remove saucepan from heat; remove thermometer. Stir in vanilla. Pour syrup mixture over the hot popcorn and stir gently to coat, adding candies. Cool till the popcorn mixture can be handled easily. With buttered hands, quickly shape the mixture into 2-inch diameter balls. Wrap each popcorn ball in plastic wrap.

Makes about 20 popcorn balls.

1/3 cup honey
2/3 cup sugar 
1/4 cup molasses 
1/4 cup corn syrup 
1/2 cup margarine

Combine and cook to soft ball stage. Pour over 5-6 qts. popped popcorn.

1/2 cup butter 
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 quarts unsalted popped corn
1 cup whole mixed nuts or pecans

Cream butter, add sugar and cream until fluffy. Combine popcorn and nuts. Mix with creamed mixture. Pat out in 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake at 350° about 8 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven and break apart when cool.

Caramel popcorn balls Recipe

1/4 C. butter or margarine
1 C. brn sugar
1/2 C. light (white) corn syrup
2/3 C. Eagle brand sweetened cond. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
5 qts. popped corn (can use micro-wave)
1/2 C. salted peanuts (optional)

In saucepan combine butter, sugar and corn syrup. Stir well and bring to a boil over med. heat. Stir in cond. milk;simmer, stirring constantly, til mixture comes to soft ball stage (234 to 238*) Stir in vanilla. Pour over popped corn and stir to coat. Butter hands lightly; shape into balls about 3 1/2" in diameter. Makes about 15.