When it comes to fun, these popcorn treats qualify on all fronts. As exciting to make as they are to eat, they offer the healthy crunch of dried fruit and nuts. Pack them into lunchboxes--or serve atop colorful wafer cones, if you'd like.  

Prep Time: 30 minutes, cook time: none, servings: 8

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 cups freshly popped corn  (3 tablespoons unpopped)

1/2 cup chopped peanuts, pecans or walnuts

1 cup dried fruit (cranberries, blueberries, raisins and/or chopped apricots)

 Wafer cones (optional)

Directions

1. Combine honey, brown sugar and butter in a microwavable dish. While kids watch, heat in microwave 1 to 2 minutes until mixture is bubbling and steaming hot. Carefully remove dish from microwave. When dish is cool, let kids stir in cinnamon and vanilla. Set aside.

2. Place popcorn, nuts and fruit in a large mixing bowl, making sure there are no unpopped kernels in the mixture. Pour warm honey syrup over popcorn mixture and let kids toss gently with a rubber spatula until they have coated all pieces of popcorn. Let mixture cool at least 10 minutes so that it becomes moldable.

3. Spray kids' hands with nonstick cooking spray. Let them scoop popcorn mixture and gently press to form 2- to 3-inch balls. Repeat until they've made 8 balls. Serve on cones if desired. To store, wrap each in plastic. Keeps up to 3 days.

Recipe taken from: Sensational Snacks: Healthy Eats From the Premier Children's Cooking School, by Barbara Berry. Reprinted with permission of Gibbs Smith Publisher.