We usually have an early dinner on Sunday, and so come Sunday evening, everyone starts nosing around the kitchen. I like to make a special treat that is fun and filling. Popcorn fits the bill, because it’s easy and there are many tasty variations you can try.
Caramel Corn
This recipe is our family favorite.
About 15 cups popped popcorn
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
Mix the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt together in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until bubbly around the edges. Stir for five more minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the baking soda. The mixture will rise and get foamy. Pour over the popped popcorn and stir until evenly coated. You can eat it now (after it cools a bit) if you like it soft and chewy, or you can put it in a shallow pan and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for up to an hour to make it more like Cracker Jacks. We usually bake it for about half an hour.
Peanut Butter Popcorn Cake
This is peanutty good and really rich.
10 cups popped popcorn
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 package miniature marshmallows
Reeses Pieces or M&M’s
Melt all the ingredients except the popcorn and candy in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour over the popcorn and stir it up. Spray an 8 1/2 x 11 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and press in the popcorn mixture. Sprinkle the top with the Reeses Pieces of the M&Ms and press them into the popcorn a little. Cut in squares to serve.
Popcorn Snack Mix
This is a healthy alternative if you don’t butter the popcorn. Basically, just mix your air-popped or microwave popcorn with any combination of pretzels, cereal squares, raisins, goldfish crackers, peanuts or whatever else your family likes. Add a handful of M&Ms for a little sweetness.