Caramel Peanut Popcorn Baseballs Recipes

HOMEMADE CARAMEL POPCORN AND PEANUTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
• Place popcorn and peanuts in very large bowl; set aside.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter and corn syrup to boiling Boil 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda, salt and vanilla.
• Pour caramel mixture over popcorn mixture; toss until well coated. Spread popcorn mixture evenly on cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a large saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in peanut butter until mixture is smooth.
• Place popcorn in a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over popcorn; toss until evenly coated. Form into about 16 balls using buttered hands. Arrange balls on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet; allow to dry and set, at least 30 minutes.

PEANUT-POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°F. Place popcorn in a large bowl. Melt butter in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup; cook, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly combined. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil without stirring. Cook until mixture registers 245° to 248° on a candy thermometer, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Turn off heat; stir in molasses, salt, and baking soda to completely combine. Keep stirring until mixture turns very foamy and lightens in color and bubbles up quite a bit.
• Pour hot syrup over popcorn mixture and immediately sprinkle peanuts over top; stir until all kernels and nuts are coated. Let stand briefly. Meanwhile, put on a pair of rubber gloves and spray them with cooking spray (this isn't required, but it will help protect your hands from the heat, and it's important to work while the mixture is still warm).
• Working quickly, use your hands to form mixture into balls, each about 1 cup in volume (if you have a 1-cup scoop, use that!). Transfer balls to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all have been formed, go back and use your hands to press them into tighter balls, so they really hold together. Let stand 15 minutes.
• Bake 45 minutes. (If one or two balls fall apart during baking, let cool briefly, then re-form.) Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

CARAMEL, PEANUT AND WHITE CHOCOLATE POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Place the popcorn kernels into a large brown paper bag and roll the top down to seal the bag. Transfer to the microwave and microwave on high until all the kernels have popped, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer popcorn to a large bowl and mix with peanuts. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, water, corn syrup, and molasses and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until sauce reaches 260ºF, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and salt. Pour immediately on top of the popcorn and peanut mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
• Once cool enough to handle, spray your hands with cooking spray and form mixture into baseball sized-balls, about 3-inches in diameter. Place formed balls on prepared baking sheet and set aside until cooled completely and hardened.
• In a microwave safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until completely melted. Transfer melted chocolate to a piping bag or zip-top bag and snip off the tip or corner. Pipe lines on the popcorn ball so it resembles a baseball and allow chocolate to cool.
• Serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and keep up to 1 week.