Critters in the Hay

• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. green food coloring (optional)
• 3-1/2 qt. popped popcorn, with any unpopped kernels removed
• 1 cup candy corn
• Black licorice ropes
• Wooden picks
• Sm. black gum drops
• other black candies
• Red decorating icing
• Tiny red jaw-breakers
• Worm-shaped candies

1. In Dutch oven, bring sugar, corn syrup and butter to a boil; boil 2-1/2 minutes.
2. Stir in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, salt and food coloring (if desired).
3. Mix until evenly colored.
4. Add popcorn and toss until evenly coated.
5. Spread popcorn mixture in a single layer on greased sheets of foil and allow to cool and harden.
6. Break into bite-sized pieces and mix with candy corn in a wide shallow bowl; set aside.
7. To make spiders, cut licorice into 2-inch lengths.
8. To make legs, starting at one end, make three 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cuts to make four legs.
9. Repeat cuts at opposite end.
10. Leave 1/2 inch in center uncut.
11. Gently pull legs apart and curl down.
12. Push wooden pick through center of body, leaving 1/4 inch exposed on top.
13. Push one gumdrop onto exposed pick to make a body.
14. Using writing tip of decorating icing, squeeze two small dots of icing into gumdrops.
15. Press jaw-breakers into icing to make eyes.
16. Place spiders and worm-shaped candies in popcorn.
17. Remove wooden picks before eating.

sugar, light corn syrup, butter, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, salt, green food coloring, kernels removed, corn, black licorice ropes, picks, black gum drops, other black candies, red decorating icing, red jawbreakers, candies

Taken from www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/4316 (may not work)