Critters In The Hay

1 c Light corn syrup

2 tb Butter

1 1/2 ts Pumpkin pie spice

1 ts Vanilla

1/2 ts Salt

1/2 ts Green food color(optional)

3 1/2 qt Popped popcorn; remove any

-unpopped kernals 1 c Candy corn

-Licorice ropes;black -wooden picks -small black gum drops or -other small black candies -red decorating icing -tiny red jaw-breakers candy -wormshape candies In Dutch oven, bring sugar,corn syrup and butter to a boil; boil 2 1/2 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 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch cuts to make four legs. Repeat cuts at opposite end. Leave about 1/2 inch in center uncut. Gently pull legs apart and curl down. Push wooden pick through center of body, leaving about 1/4 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.