Hippity Hoppity Popcorn Bunnies

Yield: about 8 bunnies

Ingredients

Popcorn

• 5 quarts popped popcorn
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Materials

• 24 large gumdrops
• Wooden picks
• Candies (Lifesavers and licorice drops)
• 2 black licorice strings

Instructions

1. Keep popcorn warm in a 300 degrees F oven.
2. In a heavy medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, corn syrup, salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves; clip candy thermometer to pan. Cook syrup to 250 degrees F (hard-ball stage); remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
3. Pour syrup in thin stream over popcorn, tossing to coat kernels evenly.
4. Butter or dampen hands: quickly shape glazed popcorn into 7 or 8 egg-shape forms for bunny bodies, about 6 inches long each.
5. With a rolling pin, roll 15 to 16 gumdrops on a sugared board until flat. Cut 7 or 8 pairs of rabbit ears from gumdrops; insert wooden picks at one end and stick 1 pair into head end of each popcorn bunny.
6. Use Lifesavers or licorice drops for eyes, gumdrop "trimmings" for noses and mouths, and several short pieces of licorice strings for whiskers; attach to bunny faces with a little hot corn syrup. For tails, secure remaining gum drops to bunnies with wooden picks.