Recipe(tried): Martha Stewart's Popcorn Balls, Caramel Popcorn

Martha Stewart's Popcorn Balls

4 tsp unsalted butter
1 (10 oz) bag marshmallows
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 quarts popped popcorn

In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and brown sugar and stir till melted. Remove from heat. Place corn in a large bowl and pour on the marshmallow mixture; toss well. Butter hands and shape corn into balls. Set on wax paper to dry.

Caramel Popcorn

2 sticks (1 cup) butter (no substitute)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup (Karo)
1 tsp vanilla
add a few to taste -- dry roasted peanuts (optional)

Melt butter in a saucepan, then ad the sugar, syrup, vanilla, stirring constantly. Stir until soft ball stage. Then pour over popcorn, mixing well. Stir in peanuts.

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When cooking a syrup there are different stages that are determined by dropping a small amount into a cup of cold water. For soft ball stage - after cooking syrup for awhile - drop a small amount of syrup in cold water - if you can push the mixture together into a small soft ball it's considered soft ball. Hard ball stage is when the syrup has been cooking for a longer time and when the syrup is dropped into cold water, it turns very hard - can't be shaped into a ball.

Hope this helps and enjoy the popcorn balls. These recipes are both good but if I'm short of time, the Martha Stewart recipe is quicker.