Fiddle Faddle® & Screaming Yellow Zonkers®

I know the most popular candy corn out there is Cracker Jack,
 but my favorite has always been Screaming Yellow Zonkers and
 Fiddle Fiddle from Lincoln Snacks Company. Fiddle Faddle is 
butter toffee-coated popcorn with almonds thrown in. Screaming
 Yellow Zonkers (you gotta love the name) is similar, but without
 the almonds. The secret to the yellow coloring of the Zonkers:
 buttered popcorn. 

Fiddle Faddle (butter toffee with almonds)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 bags plain or natural-flavored microwave popcorn
1/2 cup roasted almonds

Zonkers
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 bags butter-flavored microwave popcorn

1. For either recipe, combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, water 
and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. You're going to 
bring the candy to 265-275 degrees, or what is known as the hard
 ball stage. For this it's best to use a candy thermometer. If you
 don't have one, don't worry. Drip the candy into a small glass of
 cold water. If the candy forms a very hard, yet slightly pliable
 ball, bingo, you're there. Watch your mixture closely so that it
 doesn't boil over. 
2. While candy cooks, pop both bags of popcorn and spread about 2
 quarts or 1 1/3 bags of popcorn (plus almonds for Fiddle Faddle)
 on one large or two small cookie sheets. Put the popcorn in your
 oven set on its lowest temperature. This will keep the popcorn hot
 so that the candy will coat better.
3. When your candy has reached the hard ball stage, add the vanilla.
4. Pull the popcorn from the oven and, working quickly, pour the
 candy over the popcorn in thin streams. Mix the popcorn so that 
each kernel is coated with candy, put the popcorn back into the oven
 for five more minutes, then stir once again. This will help to coat
 each kernel. You can repeat this step once more if necessary to get
 all of the popcorn coated. Pour popcorn onto a large sheet of wax 
paper to cool. Spread the popcorn out, but be careful...it's hot. 
5. When popcorn is cool, break it up and immediately put it into a
 tightly sealed container, such as Tupperware. This will ensure that
 it stays fresh. This stuff gets stale very quickly in moist climates
 if left out.
Makes about 4 quarts.