This Christmas Popcorn ought to include a warning. It’s dangerously addictive, and would be the seemingly reason behind many sugar crash couch naps throughout this vacation season!
It’s my caramel corn with a Christmas twist – conventional festive spices and a sprinkle of almonds. It makes for excellent Christmas sweet snacks in addition to meals presents that’s straightforward to make in bulk, economical and lasts for two – 3 weeks.
Christmas Popcorn
Whereas everyone likes a superb Caramel Popcorn, it truly is simply flat out candy, and that’s it (however I nonetheless love you, Caramel Popcorn, don’t fear).
However, this caramel popcorn is way past simply candy. It’s loaded with heat Christmas spices and is studded with nutty almond for additional crunch. It’s insanely, fully and ridiculously addictive!
What you want for Christmas Popcorn
Right here’s what you could make this:
- Popcorn kernels – Simply plain popping kernels
- Vacation spices – I’ve use a mixture paying homage to Gingerbread Males, however you can even simply use cinnamon alone and it will nonetheless be great!
- Corn syrup (or glucose) – That is required to make sure the caramel doesn’t crystallise, ie. when as a substitute of turning into liquid, you find yourself with sugar grains. You can make caramel with out it, however it’s a bit temperamental so corn syrup helps makes it a positive factor.
Corn syrup isn’t offered in Australian grocery shops however that’s not an issue. Simply use glucose as a substitute. It’s only a thicker type of corn syrup which works simply as effectively. I get corn syrup on-line from USA Meals as a result of I make caramel popcorn often for bribing gifting!
Different substitutions: golden syrup is greatest for the dry crisp coating. Honey additionally works however it does add additional flavour.
- Baking soda / bi-carb soda – An essential ingredient which makes the caramel foam up and lighten a bit so that you get a extra even, skinny protection on the popcorn floor (slightly than thick globs that get caught in your enamel);
- Brown sugar – Higher than white, for additional caramel flavours;
- Salt – Only a contact, to steadiness out all of the sweetness; and
- Almonds – As a result of I consider nuts after I consider Christmas sweet! Change it out with actually every other nut you need – or seeds like pepitas, sunflower seeds or anything that can maintain up within the oven.
make Christmas Popcorn Sweet
1. The Popcorn
You’ll be able to both air pop the popcorn utilizing a popcorn machine – through which case no oil is required – or prepare dinner it on the range.
PRO TIP: Whereas air popped popcorn is fat-free, it isn’t as crispy as range popped popcorn!
2.Christmas Caramel for Popcorn
Plonk ➔ Simmer ➔ whisk!
- Mix the sugar, butter and corn syrup in a saucepan;
- As soon as it begins foaming, simmer for 4 minutes with out stirring;
- Take it off the range, then add the spices and baking soda; and …
- Foam it! Whisk vigorously and also you’ll discover that the caramel will increase in quantity barely and turns into a bit foamy. It appears a bit like sweet honeycomb. That is because of the baking soda and is essential to reaching a skinny even protection of caramel over all of the popcorn. With out the baking soda, you find yourself with thick globs of caramel that will get caught in your enamel if you eat the popcorn.
3. Bake to crisp it!
- Pour the caramel over the popcorn;
- Toss effectively to coat, add the almonds and maintain tossing. You gained’t have the ability to get a good coating at this stage as a result of the caramel will harden too shortly. However don’t fear, we’ll repair this in the course of the oven tossing stage!
- Bake & toss! Unfold the popcorn throughout two lined baking trays, then bake in a low 110°C/230°F oven for 45 minutes, tossing each 10 minutes or so. Baking makes the caramel soften once more so it may possibly proceed spreading over the popcorn in a extra even coating as you proceed to toss it. It additionally dries the popcorn and caramel coating so the caramel coating is brittle and crisp as a substitute of sticky and chewy;
- Cool on the trays then break it up into small or giant chunks earlier than storing in hermetic containers or luggage.
What to do with Christmas Popcorn Sweet
This explicit sort of Caramel Popcorn is new to my steady of recipes so I haven’t used it to its full potential but! However right here’s what I envisage:
BribingGifting – Who doesn’t love a do-it-yourself edible reward?? (Bonus that it’s super-duper economical, straightforward to make in bulk and has a shelf life of two – 3 weeks!)- Nibbly-style dessert – If your loved ones is something like mine, we inevitably go all out on the mains and faucet out earlier than dessert, leaving us too full to eat a full dimension, correct dessert. So snack-size candy treats like this are perfect. I’m perpetually scarred by the enormous gingerbread home I made as soon as which took me hours to assemble, solely to be fully rejected by your entire household as a result of everybody was so full after dinner. Solely the chimney obtained eaten. Reluctantly, at that!! I used to be
critically peevedshattered, and vowed by no means once more to make an infinite effort for Christmas dinner dessert; and - Sweet – Definitely with the quantity of sugar on this, it completely qualifies as a sweet! And it has the shelf lifetime of sweet too (2 -3 weeks).
In fact, it additionally makes for a wonderful secret stash of treats, only for your self. Shh! I gained’t inform in case you don’t… ? – Nagi x
Watch methods to make it
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Christmas Popcorn Sweet
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook dinner: 55 minutes
Whole: 1 hr 5 minutes
Dessert, Candy
Western
Servings8 – 12
Faucet or hover to scale
Directions
Popcorn
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Warmth oil in a big pot over medium warmth. Add a couple of items of popcorn and wait till it pops, then shortly take away.
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Add remaining popcorn, elevate off range to shake and unfold corn out evenly. Cowl with a lid. As soon as the popcorn begins popping in earnest, shake the pot gently as soon as.
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Take away from warmth when the popping nearly stops (when you may rely to three between pops) and switch to a (very!) giant bowl. You want 10 cups of popcorn.
Caramel:
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Preheat oven to 110°C/230°F.
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Soften butter in a saucepaan over medium warmth.
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Add sugar, corn syrup (or glucose) and salt. Stir till simply mixed.
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When it begins to bubble, simmer for 4 minutes – DO NOT STIR!
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Take away from warmth then shortly whisk in Christmas Spices, vanilla and baking soda. Whisk vigorously for 10 seconds, then if you cease whisking, the caramel will foam and improve in quantity.
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Shortly pour straight over popcorn, toss to coat.
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Sprinkle over the almonds, and toss once more till caramel cools and begins to harden.
Baking to crisp:
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Unfold popcorn throughout 2 baking trays.
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Bake for 45 minutes, tossing each 10 minutes or so. Caramel will remelt for the primary 2-3 tosses – tossing additional coats popcorn extra evenly with caramel. (If utilizing glucose as a substitute of corn syrup, bake additional quarter-hour).
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Take away from oven, depart to chill. Gently break into items then switch to hermetic container for storage. Stays crisp 2 – 3 weeks!
Recipe Notes:
2. Corn Syrup is named for to stabilise the caramel to make sure sugar crystallisation doesn’t happen. Corn syrup is a standard grocery merchandise within the US and Canada – I fill up each time I’m going! It may be bought on-line in Australia from USAFoods.com.au (right here).
Glucose is an ideal substitute for corn syrup which is obtainable in Australian supermarkets (look within the baking aisle; it’s a transparent, thick syrup with honey-like consistency). Nevertheless, the popcorn must be baked for quarter-hour longer (as a result of glucose as larger water content material).
Extra subs – golden syrup, honey or maple syrup. For these, bake popcorn additional 15 min.
3. Storage – Stays 100% crisp and contemporary for two – 3 weeks in an hermetic container!
Vitamin Data:
Serving: 46gEnergy: 210cal (11%)Carbohydrates: 27.6g (9%)Protein: 0.8g (2%)Fats: 11.7g (18%)Saturated Fats: 7.3g (46%)Ldl cholesterol: 30mg (10%)Sodium: 663mg (29%)Potassium: 6mgFiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 23.1g (26%)Vitamin A: 400IU (8%)Iron: 0.2mg (1%)
Lifetime of Dozer
I’d be fairly completely happy if I discovered a Dozer beneath MY Christmas Tree…..