Not-So-Scary Chocolate Caramel Popcorn Balls

I used to LOVE popcorn balls as a little girl, and with the addition in this recipe of CHOCOLATE, Oh MY!!
"Treat your gang to a batch of these Halloween Treats!"
(makes 15)

12 cups lightly salted, popped popcorn
Cooking spray (I use coconut oil cooking spray*)
1&1/2 cup Kerrygold* butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 t. kosher* salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla extract (I would use the best you can find, or scrape the caviar from the vanilla bean*)
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream
Fall-colored sprinkles or nonpareils

Place popcorn in a large mixing bowl coated with cooking spray, and remove any unpopped kernels.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt over medium-high. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then lower heat and allow to simmer 5 min. Remove saucepan from heat and add baking soda, which will cause caramel to foam. Stir constantly until foam subsides. Add vanilla extract. Pour caramel over popcorn. Using a large spoon, stir until evenly coated and mixture is cool enough to handle, about 2 min. Lightly coat hands with butter or cooking spray and divide mixture evenly, forming 3" balls. Press mixture together firmly and place onto waxed paper. Let set 20 min. Melt chocolate chips and heavy cream together in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stopping to stir each time, until smooth. Dip tops of popcorn balls into chocolate. Add sprinkles before chocolate dries and allow to set about 45 min.

"We can agree to disagree - in love."

Have FUN and be KIND to each other today!!

Love,

MM