Add sugar, spice, and everything nice to your homemade popcorn this winter!
Ashley Rodriguez from Not Without Salt shows us two sweet and two savory options to spice up our homemade popcorn.
SPICING UP HOMEMADE POPCORN
We never miss our Friday night Family Movie Night tradition. Along with that ritual you can be sure there is always a heaping bowl of popcorn.
Black and White Popcorn
SERVES 4 TO 6
At Cinerama here in Seattle their chocolate popcorn is legendary. My brother pleaded with me to try and replicate the recipe and for years I tried even before I stepped foot in the theater. Finally I went and experienced the popcorn myself and felt the urgency of my brother’s request.
This recipe is the result of many trials and oh so many errors. At the Cinerama you can get all chocolate popcorn or half chocolate and half regular and that is my favorite so that’s what we’ve done here. Although mine is doused with a bit of brown butter which really takes the whole thing over the top.
1/2 cup/ 100 g popcorn (about 6 cups popped)
8 tablespoons/ 110 g unsalted butter
1/2 cup/100 g packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup / 40 g finely chopped chocolate
1 Prepare the popcorn and divide it in half among two large bowls.
2 Preheat your oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper then set aside.
3 Melt the butter in a small saucepan until bubbling and frothy. When the milk solids present in the butter start to caramelize and the butter smells nutty remove two tablespoons to a small bowl then set that aside. To the rest of the butter add the dark brown sugar, cocoa powder and sea salt. Bring back to a boil then whisk continuously until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.
4 Pour this mixture over one of the bowls of popcorn. Stir to coat. Dump this onto the parchment lined sheet tray then bake for 30 to 40 minutes stirring a couple of times throughout the baking process.
5 Remove the popcorn from the oven then transfer the chocolate popcorn back to its bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate. The finer it’s chopped the more it will melt and coat the popcorn but if you want some bits of chocolate not melted then wait until the popcorn is not quite so warm or chop the chocolate roughly.
6 Let the chocolate cool on the popcorn, about 20 minutes or pop it into the refrigerator if your patience won’t allow the wait. After about 10 minutes the chocolate will be set.
7 Add the remaining 2 tablespoons brown butter to the plain popcorn. (Microwave the butter just until it’s melted, about 20 seconds, if it has firmed up). Season the plain popcorn with salt to taste.
8 Combine the chocolate and regular popcorn then press play on your favorite movie.
Salted Peanut Toffee Popcorn
There is no greater snack for snuggling up on the couch at the end of a hearty meal.
MAKES 10 CUPS
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup popcorn kernels (6 to 7 cups popped)
1 cup roasted salted peanuts
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon flake salt or smoked flake salt, to finish
1 Place oil and popcorn in a large pot and cover with lid. Place over medium high heat. Shake pot occasionally over burner until popping mostly subsides. Remove lid and pour popcorn into a very large bowl.
2 Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3 In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and syrups together and bring to a boil. Gently boil for 5 minutes. Add peanuts to toffee then combine with popcorn in a very large bowl. Stir carefully to evenly coat the popcorn. Spread onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, stirring and rotating the pan halfway through. Sprinkle with flake salt to finish then let cool.
4 Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container once thoroughly cooled.
Frank’s Hot and Sweet Popcorn
1/4 cup popcorn kernels popped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Frank’s Hot Sauce (or more for more heat)
2 teaspoons honey
2 Fresh Thyme sprigs
Sea salt, to taste
1 Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2 Stir in the Frank’s Hot Sauce, honey and Thyme. Let the butter gently simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3 Pour the butter over the popcorn then add sea salt to taste.
4 Enjoy straight away.
Rosemary, Lemon, Garlic and Parmesan Popcorn
1/4 cup popcorn kernels, popped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Sea salt, to taste
1 Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat.
2 Add the garlic then gently simmer until the garlic shifts in color. Once lightly browned add the rosemary and lemon zest and continue to simmer for 1 minute.
3 Pour the butter over the popcorn then stir evenly to coat. Finish with the Parmesan and sea salt to taste. Enjoy straight away.
