Making your own Holiday Popcorn

I got tired of the can's of popcorn they have out there.  The really good stuff is so very expensive and the rest is so tasteless.  So I make my own.  I fill those can's I got from thrift stores and washed good.  So today I am going to share my recipes with you. 

 Making Cheese Popcorn
We love cheese popcorn so we make a a can full of that and it's so very easy!  We just make up regular popcorn and put it in a big bowl with a lid and sprinkle cheese powder thickly on it and then shake it up.    You can also add different spices to make nacho cheese corn or Italian cheese corn, ect.    As it sits in the can the flavor goes into the corn so after a couple days it's really good stuff!

Cinnamon Candied Popcorn

Things You'll Need:

• 6 quarts of popped popcorn. (pop in a Stir Crazy or on the stove, do NOT use microwave popcorn.)
• 12 ounces of cinnamon red hot candies
• sugar
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. or 1 dram of cinnamon oil. You need oil, not extract, you can find it at www.lorannoils.com

Instructions

1 Preheat the oven to 250º. Butter a large roasting pan and add the popcorn to it. If you want you can put the popcorn in the oven to warm while you are preparing the candy coating, but it's not necessary.

2 Pour the red hot candies into a 2 cup measure and then start adding sugar to the candies, stopping to shake it down into all the nooks and crannies until the sugar reaches the 2 cup line.

3 In a heavy skillet, bring the candies, sugar, butter, water, corn syrup and salt to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly for five minutes.

4 Remove from heat and add the baking soda and cinnamon oil. Stir well and stand back to avoid the steam that will come up from the oil, some people are sensitive to it. I like to add the oil outside if possible or open a lot of windows so that my house doesn't smell like cinnamon forever.

5 Pour over popcorn and toss quickly with a buttered wooden spoon to distribute the candy coating evenly.

6 Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

7 Remove from the oven and pour out onto parchment paper or a clean granite or marble counter. Break up the larger clumps as it is cooling and then store in ziploc bags or a plastic container once completely cool. If you like cinnamon, watch out, this is addictive!

The Best Caramel Popcorn

Things You'll Need:

• popcorn
• sugar
• corn syrup
• butter
• vanilla
• toasted almonds
• toasted pecans

Measure 8-10 cups popped popcorn into a large bowl. Try to made sure there are no kernels.

Use unsalted nuts. You may use 2 cups toasted almonds, or 1 cup almonds and 1 cup pecans or peanuts. Just make sure they are toasted. You can either buy toasted, or toast yourself. Put oven on broiler. Arrange nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Put in until darkened a bit on one side. Stay close by and pay attention so you don't burn them. OR Microwave nuts on a microwave safe plate for 1 minute intervals, stir after each minute or less until nuts are darkened and smell toasted. (2-3 minutes total)

        Pour nuts on top of popcorn.

To make the caramel, in a medium size saucepan, combine: 1 1/3 Cup Sugar (all white or 1/2 white 1/2 brown) 1 Cup Butter 1/2 Cup Corn Syrup.

Melt above ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.

Add 1 tsp vanilla.

Pour mixture over popcorn and nuts.

Toss by lifting the popcorn and nut mixture with a spoon, or two spoons until all coated and rotated.

Pour onto a greased cookie sheet and let cool.

pull apart and place in airtight container or cellophane gift bags.

Popcorn and Chex party Mix are items my family expects to see setting around all during the holiday season.  I actually store what I need for making our Christmas popcorns!

Hope your you and your family are getting ready for the Holidays and enjoying each others company!

Cherlynn

brchbell@yahoo.com