Skip Pricey Candy Bars, Make Popcorn Balls For Halloween

When I was growing up, as Halloween approached, we didn't have much money to buy costumes, so we used whatever we could to make one.

One year, my little brother went trick-or-treating as Q-Tip, and a few years later, my two sisters were the same. The only thing my mom had to buy was cotton balls and glue. She used an old box, colored it like a Q-Tip box, painted their faces white, and glued cotton balls onto a bald cap.

I usually dressed up as a football player in hand-me-down equipment or as a vampire with slicked-back hair, a black cape, and $.10 fangs.

Times were much simpler back then, but we made some great memories. One memory I have is getting a popcorn ball from my grandma as a trick-or-treating snack. She made dozens, and they cost her less than $10. She'd even get crazy and throw in some food coloring to really add that Halloween pizzazz.

I loved those popcorn balls and was always excited to get one, probably more like 5, but you get it.

If you've gone to the store to buy candy for this year, you've probably noticed it's not cheap to buy the bags of candy, and if you're one who gives out full-sized bars, it's really expensive.

I know some parents are against their kids getting homemade treats, but if you're having Halloween parties or making snacks for the kids, you should join the movement to bring back old-school treats like popcorn balls.

I used to have a handwritten card with my grandma's recipe, but that's long gone. I found one online from KiKi Coll from Taste of Nostalgia that uses the same method she used.

If you look at the ingredients, you probably have most of them at home now.

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
pinch of salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla or any extract that you care to use
5 quarts popped popcorn

You'll need a candy thermometer for this recipe
Butter the sides of a saucepan. Add the sugar, water, salt, syrup, and vinegar to the buttered pan. Mix and cook to hard-ball stage (250 degrees F). Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Spread popcorn out on a large baking sheet. Pour syrup over popcorn. Allow to cool only slightly, enough to handle. Rub hands with butter and form popcorn into balls. Wrap balls in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
* You can also add a few drops of orange food coloring when you add the vanilla for color

If you give it a try, send me a picture and let me know how it turns out HERE.