Critters in the Hay

Directions

In Dutch oven, bring sugar, corn syrup and butter to a boil; boil 2½ minutes.

Stir in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, salt and food coloring (if desired) mix until evenly colored.

Add popcorn and toss until evenly coated.

Spread popcorn mixture in a single layer on greased sheets of foil and allow to cool and harden.

Break into bite-size pieces and mix with candy corn in a wide shallow bowl; set aside.

To make spiders, cut licorice into 2 inch lengths.

To make legs, starting at one end, make three ½ inch to ¾ inch cuts to make four legs.

Repeat cuts at opposite end.

Leave about ½ inch in center uncut.

Gently pull legs apart and curl down.

Push wooden pick through center of body, leaving about ¼ inch exposed on top.

Push one gumdrop onto exposed pick to make a body.

Using writing tip of decorating icing, squeeze two small dots of icing into gumbrops.

Press jaw-breakers into icing to make eyes.

Place spiders and worm-shaped candies in popcorn.

Remove wooden picks before eating.

Makes 4 quarts.