Pop, Pop, Pop, Popcorn!

It’s really neat. Fun to make and fun to eat.

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The year is quickly wrapping up, and I cannot believe how quickly it has flown by. Most of my presents have been ordered and wrapped, and I’m in full baking and guest prep mode.

Before we can snuggle up and go into holiday hibernation, we have a few end of the year holiday parties to go-to, which usually means that I overly volunteer to bring something and I am stubborn and like to bring something homemade. Don’t ask, maybe it’s a southern thing. To make the most of the minutes, I like to make treats that can I can make with my kids. They enjoy the holiday baking and brings me back to traditions I had with my parents when I was younger! But, baking with a one year old needs to look really easy. Like reallllly easy. Luckily, my favorite treat to make and eat just requires three ingredients.

Cinnamon Popcorn

We made this when I was little every Christmas, and chomped on it all day long while watching Christmas movies or walking around to look at the lights. I’ve added a few variations to it over the years, and found a few ways to spruce it up and give it as a gift. You can make a lot or a little, depending on how much you like to snack… and I really like to snack.

Ingredient List

-8 quarts of plain popped popcorn - microwave popcorn is just fine. No need to get too fancy here!
-1 cup butter or margarine
-1/2 cup of light corn syrup
-1 package (9 oz) of cinnamon red hot candies

Here’s the easy part: You just pop your popcorn and melt everything over it. Just kidding. There’s a few more steps, but I promise it’s super easy.

1. In your saucepan, combine butter, corn syrup and candies together. Bring them to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. (This is a great kid-task, adult supervision required). Boil for five minutes, stirring occasionally. 

2. Pour over popcorn and mix thoroughly. I like to wear gloves because it can get pretty sticky. 

3. Turn into two greased 15 x 10 inch baking pans. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. 

4. Remove from pans and place on waxed paper to cool. Break it apart for the ultimate munching experience. 

give the sweetest gift

When my popcorn is still slightly warm, I like to form it into 2 -3 inch balls and let it cool. After they’re cooled, I wrap in cellophane and tie with a ribbon. Hello, gifts for neighbors and teachers!

If cinnamon isn’t your thing, then I have a few alternatives for you! I like to use caramel or chocolate to give a variety of flavors to my popcorn scene!

Caramel  Popcorn 

There’s a few more steps to a good caramel popcorn, but I believe in you! Trust me, it’s worth it and you can prep it ahead of time for Christmas weekend.

Ingredient List

-Salted or unsalted butter
-Light brown sugar
-Light corn syrup
-Salt
-Vanilla extract
-Baking Soda

In a saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat.

1. Stir in brown sugar, light corn syrup, and salt until combined.

2. Let the sugar mixture boil gently for 2-3 minutes without stirring.

3. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla extract.

4. Pour the hot caramel mixture all over the popcorn and toss to coat.

5. Spread the popcorn on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes on 250 F. Tossing halfway.

Black and White Drizzle  

The last popcorn I want to talk about is the classic “crack popcorn.”

Ingredient List

-White Chocolate Chips
-Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
-Popcorn
-Sea Salt

1. Are you ready for this? You just pop your popcorn in a recipe and lay it on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

2. Then, you melt your chocolate. There are a lot of ways to melt chocolate, but my go-to way to melt it without it burning is a water bath. My grandma did this and I’ve just always done the same. Place a small saucepan of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Then I put a glass bowl over it (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the pan). Place your chocolate in the bowl and stir it occasionally till melted. You’ll want to melt your white and semi-sweet separately.

3. Use a fork to drizzle your popcorn. That’s it! Sprinkle with some sea salt for some extra fun flavor.

popcorn Hack

I sprinkle my popcorn with some red and green sprinkles for a fun and colorful treat!