Marshmallow Popcorn Balls
Popcorn balls just have a way of stirring up wonderful childhood memories for me. They were a special treat and most of the time we made them around Halloween. One of my favorite treats.
Marshmallow Popcorn Balls
Ingredients:
16 cups of popped popcorn (2 bags of microwave popcorn)
10 oz. bag of marshmallows
1c. butter (2 sticks)
1 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
½ c. light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Extra Butter to grease your hands with
I suggest that you gather all of your ingredients up before you start. Pop the popcorn and shake around to get any un-popped kernels to go to the bottom of your pan and remove them. Set popcorn aside in a large heat resistant bowl or pan with sides on it.
Melt 1 cup of butter, sugar, light corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once all of the butter has melted, add the entire package of marshmallows, stirring constantly reducing heat to low. Once the marshmallows have all melted remove from heat and add vanilla. At this time if you want to color them add food coloring a few drops at a time until the desired color.
Pour the warm marshmallow sauce over the popped popcorn. I like to spray a couple of spatulas or large spoons with Pam and use them to stir it around until the popcorn is well coated. Once coated and cool enough to handle, butter your hands with the extra butter. I like to just set a stick out so I can rebutter several times. It is very sticky. Begin shaping into a ball about the size of a baseball. Press firmly to hold it together. Place balls on wax paper as they are completed.
After the balls are completed you can add sprinkles, candy corn, M & M s or whatever embellishments you want by rolling the balls in it or pressing them on. DO NOT add to the hot mixture before making the balls. They will make a melted mess.
There are many recipes for making the popcorn balls, the one my mom made you had to use a candy thermometer and cook to soft ball and it did not have marshmallows in it. It makes a harder popcorn ball and once you started making balls (while it was extremely hot) you had to work quickly because it set up fast. These with the marshmallows are a little sweeter and gooey and I prefer working with these. It is much easier, and kids can help without worry of burning their hands.
I let mine sit out overnight or for several hours and they will set up and not continue to be so gooey. Once set up put them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.
