Popcorn Balls

 Popcorn Balls

2 quarts of popped popcorn
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup  of Light or dark corn syrup
1/3 cup of water
1/4 cup of butter/margarine
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla

FROM: Shelley Rodgers (Jolly Rodgers: the Portuguese Pirate! 1:161/202) Keep popcorn warm in 200ºF.  oven while preparing coating. In 2-quart saucepan stir together sugar, corn syrup, water, butter and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking without stirring until temperature reaches 270ºF.  on a candy thermometer or until a small amount dropped into very cold water separates into threads which are hard but not brittle. Remove from heat. Add vanilla; stir just enough to mix through hot syrup. Slowly pour over popcorn, stirring to coat every kernel. Cool just enough to handle. With greased hands, shape into balls. VARIATION: Use almond, peppermint or other flavor extract instead of vanilla. For colorful popcorn balls, stir a few drops of food coloring into syrup before adding to popped popcorn. [ Jolly Time popcorn ] ** -=> this comes from the bottom of the files of Shelley Rodgers <=- File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/kids.zip