Ingredients:
• 10 cups popped popcorn
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red and green food coloring (optional)
• Festive sprinkles for decoration
Directions:
. Pop the popcorn and place it in a large mixing bowl, removing any unpopped kernels.
. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt, and cream of tartar. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil.
. Allow the mixture to boil for 4-5 minutes without stirring, until it reaches the soft ball stage (around 235°F/113°C).
. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Add a few drops of red and green food coloring if desired.
. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the popcorn, gently folding until the popcorn is evenly coated.
. With greased hands, shape the coated popcorn into balls and place them on a parchment-lined tray.
. Decorate the popcorn balls with festive sprinkles before they cool completely.
. Allow the popcorn balls to set for about 1-2 hours.