Buttery Eggnog-ish Candied Popcorn Balls

I swear… the holidays bring out the best in me.  

By the best, I’m specifically referring to each of the kitschy, crafty and resourceful Girl Scout badges I earned between the ages of 8 years and 16 years of age. Those were some of my best years.  Let’s not call it peaking early because all you have to do is ring a holiday bell and all of those cross stitching, stained-glass-cookie-making, and popcorn crafting come bubbling right back to the surface like I haven’t ignored them for the last 50 weeks.  

Introducing:  Eggnog-ish Popcorn Balls.  The edible craft you make with your hands and choose between wrapping as a gift or throwing at your sister.  A Choose Your Own Adventure gift or weapon…. at least that’s how it was advertised to me in the Girl Scout Handbook (this is an exaggeration at best, but still very funny to me… so I’m letting it ride). 

Popcorn balls are essentially an edible decoration.  Like caramel corn you added nutmeg to and bunched together on purpose.  I mean… what more could you ask for (rhetorical)?    Shall we?

Here’s how these start:  

Popcorn is popped (microwave or otherwise).  

Gather sugar and corn syrup, water, and vanilla extract, vinegar, butter, salt, and fresh nutmeg! 

First we’ll make a sugar syrup, pliable and sticky enough to hold together our popcorn.  

Sugar and corn syrup in a small pot.  

We’ll add water, sea salt, and vinegar (which will keep sugar crystals from forming) before bringing the mixture to a simmer to precisely 260 degrees F.  

This is again one of those times when I pester you to buy a candy thermometer.  

Once the mixture simmers to 260 degrees, it’s removed from the heat and softened butter is added.  

The mixture bubbles up as the butter melts.  Perfect time to add pure vanilla extract. 

And stir like a whizzz.  

This is super satisfying.  

Fresh nutmeg is added.  

You know.  Holiday flare.  Home comfort.  General good vibes.  Plus, in December you’re allowed to make everything taste like eggnog… mostly all it takes is nutmeg. 

Stir to combine and now is the fun part.  

Place popcorn in a giant bowl, and gently pour sugar syrup over the popcorn.  

Don’t dig your hands in just yet.  The sugar syrup is likely too hot and could stick to your hands and burn you. 

See?  This is the part that made this sort of baking worth a Girl Scout badge: a hint of danger.  

Add the almonds while the mixture is still warm and sticky and stir it up! 

Toss to thoroughly coat and, once cool enough, about 4 minutes or so (but test for yourself)… grease your hands with something like butter or nonstick cooking spray, and press into balls. 

Give the balls a few minutes to cool and harden to hold their shape.  

Wrap the balls individually and huzzah!  You’ve got some sweet little gifts.  Chewy and crunchy.  Sweet and salty.  Weapon or gift. 

Photos with Jon Melendez. 

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