Candied Apple Popcorn Balls

Anyone who grew up making popcorn balls will remember fondly the quick, hot work of shaping the sticky mixture into balls that would quickly set up. It's an old-fashioned treat that we're bringing back because they're a 100% whole-grain dessert. That's right—popcorn is a whole grain, and popcorn balls are an easy way to turn those grains into a sweet, healthy treat for the family.

Candied Apple Popcorn BallsHands-on: 35 min Total: 45 min

1 tablespoon canola oil1/3 cup unpopped popcorn1 cup sugar1/2 cup cinnamon hard candies1/4 cup water1 tablespoon butter1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 ounce lightly crushed apple chips

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add popcorn;cover and cook 3 minutes or until kernels pop, shaking pan frequently. When popping slows down, remove pan from heat. Let stand 1 minute or until popping stops. Pour popcorn into a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Add apple chips to bowl.

2. Combine sugar and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until a candy thermometer registers 300º. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Immediately pour hot syrup over popcorn; toss well to coat. Cool slightly (about 1 to 2 minutes). Carefully form mixture into 8 balls, being careful not to compact too tightly.

Add 1 ounce lightly crushed apple chips to popcorn before adding hot sugar syrup. Omit agave syrup and add 1/2 cup cinnamon hard candies (about 21 candies) to sugar mixture.

SERVES 8 (serving size: 1 popcorn ball)CALORIES 229; FAT 3.5g (sat 1g, mono 1.5g, poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 1g; CARB 49g; FIBER 2g; CHOL 4mg; IRON 0mg; SODIUM 174mg; CALC 1mg

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• Old-Fashioned Popcorn Balls
• Rocky Road Popcorn Balls
• Delicious Whole-Grain Recipes