Chocolate And Spice Popcorn Balls Food

CHOCOLATE POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Place popcorn in a large heat-proof bowl; keep warm in a 200° oven. In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate. Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Add water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook until a candy thermometer reads 250° (hard-ball stage). , Pour over warm popcorn and stir until evenly coated. When mixture is cool enough to handle, quickly shape into 3-in. balls, dipping hands in cold water to prevent sticking. Cool; wrap in plastic.

POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Combine the popcorn and cocoa nibs in a very large mixing bowl. Make sure to remove any unpopped kernels.
• Combine the corn syrup, sugar, molasses, water, salt, and vanilla in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan and put it over medium heat. Cover and bring to boil, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid and clip on a candy thermometer. Continue to cook until the mixture reaches 250 degrees F. Take the pan off the heat, remove the candy thermometer and immediately pour the mixture over the popcorn. Stir to coat the popcorn evenly. Cool until the mixture can be handled safely, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Using a large ice cream disher, scoop the popcorn mixture into 3-inch rounds onto a parchment lined half sheet pan, smoothing with buttered hands as needed. Cool completely. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or put them in an airtight container. Store for up to 2 days.
• Put the oil, popcorn and salt in a large, 6-quart, metal mixing bowl. Cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil and poke 10 slits in the top with a knife. Put the bowl over medium heat and shake constantly using tongs to hold the bowl. Continue shaking until the popcorn finishes popping, approximately 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and carefully remove the foil. Stir in any salt that is on the side of the bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave. Slowly drizzle over the popcorn, while spinning the bowl. Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Heat sugar, corn syrup, butter, cocoa and salt to boiling in a 4-quart kettle or Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• Stir in popcorn. Cook and stir until popcorn is coated, about 2 minutes. Cool to lukewarm.
• Shape into 3-inch balls. For easy shaping, dip hands in cold water from time-to-time. Place balls on waxed paper; cool.

WHITE CHOCOLATE POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Line 2 12-muffin muffin pans by placing a sheet of plastic wrap over the pan and pushing down into the cups slightly.
• Over barely simmering water melt the chopped chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the popcorn carefully to coat it evenly with melted chocolate. Working quickly, take off large spoonfuls of coated popcorn and form into a loose ball the size of a golf ball. Place it in the cup of the lined muffin pans to rest and sprinkle with the colored sprinkles. Insert a lollipop stick in the bottom and let it set up. To hasten the set-up, place them in the refrigerator. These can be wrapped in colored cellophane with twisted ends. Store at room temperature.

CANDY CORN POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Heat a large pot over medium-high heat; add the popcorn kernels and peanut oil. When the oil starts to sizzle, sprinkle the sugar over the kernels. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake the pot until the popping slows down, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and add the popcorn, candy corn and peanuts.
• Combine the marshmallows and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Pour the melted marshmallow mixture over the popcorn mixture and gently toss to coat.
• Coat your hands with cooking spray, then shape the popcorn into 3-inch balls. Let cool.

CANDY CORN POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Melt the candy corn in the heavy cream in a small saucepan, stirring as needed, over medium-low heat. Put the popped popcorn in a large bowl. Pour the melted candy corn mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat.
• Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray and roll the popcorn into baseball-sized balls, pressing the popcorn together firmly so it sticks and stays together. Allow the popcorn balls to chill on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes to firm up. Enjoy!

SWEET AND SPICY PEPITAS POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Pop the popcorn according to package instructions. While hot, carefully open package and dump into a large bowl.
• Toast the pumpkin seeds in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until browned and popping, tossing and stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. (Do this in batches, if needed.) Add to the popcorn.
• Make caramel: Warm the cream over low heat and keep warm while you cook the sugar. Put the sugar and corn syrup and in a deep, heavy-bottomed large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring, raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until the sugar reaches the hard crack stage, or 305 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes.
• Whisk the butter and salt into the sugar mixture. Gradually pour in the cream and vanilla taking care since the mixture will bubble up. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar reaches soft ball stage, 240 degrees F on the thermometer, about 5 minutes more. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and cayenne. Cool for about a minute. Pour caramel over the popcorn and stir to evenly coat.
• When the popcorn is cool enough to handle, coat your hands with some butter and shape into 4-inch balls. Wrap in waxed paper and tie with a string, if desired. Serve or store covered at room temperature for up to a week.