popcorn
snacks
kid-friendly
game day

Did you know that Rach once threw the opening pitch at Fenway? Yep—she's a diehard Boston Red Sox fan. 

This year, she asked the baker of the family—her sister, Maria—to make a sweet and salty snack to celebrate MLB Opening Day. Maria delivered big time with these caramel-coated popcorn balls. Enjoy them in front of the television or wrap them up to take to a game. PLAY BALL! 

For more baseball-inspired recipes from our "World Series of Food" episode, check out Rachael's Ballpark Pretzel Bun Burgers with Dijon Ranch Special Sauce, Josh Capon's Ultimate Steak Sandwich and Jeff Mauro's Grand Slam Nacho Pretzel Dogs. 

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 3 quarts plain popped popcorn
  • ½ cup dry roasted, salted peanuts
  • ½ cup honey roasted peanuts
  • Nonstick cooking spray

Yield

Serves: Makes 6 to 8

Preparation

In a pot large enough to hold all the popcorn, melt the butter, molasses, brown sugar and salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Add the corn syrup and stir to combine. 

Boil the mixture until the temperature reaches 230 to 240°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat, add the popcorn and nuts and toss until completely coated.  

Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl. Lightly grease your hands with nonstick cooking spray and form the popcorn into baseball-size balls.