It’s that time of year again, when gaggles of little ghosts, goblins and ghouls expect sweet treats.

This year consider ditching candy in favor of an easy treat you can cook up yourself. I’m talking about popcorn. It’s not only tasty, filling and easy to prepare, it’s versatile too. Make it sweet, and it’ll win with the kids. Having an adult party? Make it savory!

Start from scratch by popping the corn kernels on the stove. Those microwave bags of popcorn from the supermarket? You don’t need them. Sure they’re convenient, but most of them also are filled with additives, including hydrogenated fat, artificial colors and flavors, and way too much salt.

My recipe for stovetop popcorn cooks up quickly. As in only 5 minutes start to finish. In fact, the process is over so quickly that I urge you to stay near the stove until all the corn is popped. I’ve also minimized the danger of burning by specifying a pan that’s just the right size, one that allows you to set out the kernels in a single layer.

With the corn popped, you can then go sweet or savory. For adults, there are Parmesan-garlic and blue cheese-hot sauce options. (Either version also would score big on Super Bowl Sunday). For kids, there’s marshmallow popcorn balls (with an optional dash of cinnamon) or double-chocolate popcorn balls. And neither kid option requires any special candy-making skills. You simply melt and mix the ingredients with the popcorn, then shape it into balls after it has cooled, a job with which the kids might want to help.

HALLOWEEN POPCORN TREATS

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Yield: 11-12 cups

3 tablespoons vegetable or grapeseed oil 1/2 cup popcorn kernels

Procedure:

Place the oil in a large saucepan at least 8-inches across at the bottom. Add 3 popcorn kernels, cover and cook over medium-high heat until the kernels pop. This lets you know when the pan is hot enough.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining kernels and return the pan to the burner. Cook the popcorn over medium-high heat, covered, with a tiny gap to let the steam escape, shaking the pan occasionally until the popping noises slow down to once every 3 to 4 seconds. Remove from the heat.

Use the popcorn in one of the following variations: