Spray an 8×8 pan with nonstick spray, then sprinkle some powdered sugar in the pan and shake well, dispersing it all over the pan, covering the entire thing.

In a small saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup cold water and sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly for just 30 seconds until the sugar is starting to dissolve and the mixture is warm. You DON’T want it to get too sticky or cook yet! Turn off the heat. Stir in 2 cups of buttery popcorn and let it infuse for 20 to 30 minutes. Make sure that you stir a few times (it will start to get sticky as it cools) and toss the popcorn. Remove the popcorn with a slotted spoon. I even pushed some through a fine mesh sieve to get as much liquid as I could that was starting to become syrupy.

Place the gelatin in a small bowl and stir in the 8 tablespoons of cold water. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Begin to heat the sugar mixture again over medium heat, whisking well.

Stir in the gelatin mixture and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, immediately remove from heat. Add to the bowl of an electric mixer attached with a whisk. Let sit and slightly cool. (I cool for about 10 minutes.) Add in vanilla extract and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 10-15 minutes, until white and glossy and shiny and thick. Spread in the 8×8 pan and top with the other 2 cups of popcorn (try to remove all the kernels you can!), pressing them into the marshmallow. Let sit for about 4 hours, or even overnight.

To make your s’mores, sandwich the toasted marshmallow between grahams with your favorite chocolate. A tip I’ve been doing is toasting the marshmallows from the BOTTOM because no one wants burnt popcorn, you know?? Just make sure your popcorn stays butter. And make sure to make these close to serving time, as popcorn can get soggy!