THE MOST ‘POP’ULAR SNACK

Let’s face it. Over the years, popcorn has turned into the go-to snack as well as a popular dessert.

It’s quick, it’s easy, versatile and simply poppin’.

I want to say I prefer salty popcorn over sweet. But given we are long past the point of having only those two options, I’ll go ahead and say I prefer savory popcorn.

So recently, I have been experimenting with flavors.

My favorite being my Italian-styled popcorn with loads of oregano. Lemon-cilantro popcorn is perfect for the summer also.

Astonishingly (to me), however, most of my close friends and family prefer sweet popcorn. And when a friend of mine was feeling down, I felt the obligation to get out the caramel!

Who doesn’t love a good sweet’n’salty snack to lift your spirits?

So since my friend asked, here are the recipes:

HONEY SALTED CARAMEL POPCORN:

6 quarts freshly popped popcorn

1 cup / 220g butter, unsalted

2 cups / 440g brown sugar

½ cup / 170g  honey

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp sea salt flakes

Preheat the oven to 250° F / 121° C.

While the popcorn is popping, heat the butter, sugar, honey and vanilla over medium heat stirring until melted. Raise the heat and let boil for 4 minutes, no stirring required.

Spread out the popcorn onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn, stirring well to coat. Sprinkle with salt.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for half an hour. Stir well every ten minutes to help get all the popcorn coated.

Remove from oven and let cool. Break the larger pieces into smaller ones and store in an airtight container. This will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

WHITE CHOCOLATE PECAN POPCORN:

6 quarts freshly popped popcorn

1 white chocolate bar

1 handful pecan, chopped (optional)

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals.

In a large bowl, drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn. Mix in the chopped pecans and enjoy.

What’s poppin’ in your kitchen?