Buttercrunch Popcorn Food

BUTTER CRUNCH

Steps:

• Melt butter and bring to boil. Add warm water and return to boil. Add the 2 pounds of sugar and lecithin, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes homogenous. Add almonds and cook until almonds are roasted. Lower flame and cook to 300 degrees F. Take off heat; add salt and remaining 1/2-ounce granulated sugar until dissolved, stirring constantly. Pour onto greased baking sheet, spread out as thin as practical, score and cut.
• Option: Once cooled, dip in melted chocolate and sprinkle with roasted chopped almonds.

BUTTERCRUNCH POPCORN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Grease a 14x10" roasting pan.
• Pop the popcorn.
• Put the nuts and popcorn in a very large bowl.
• Bring the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter to boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
• Reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in the butterscotch chips, vanilla, baking soda and salt until everything is blended and smooth.
• Working quickly, and using two wooden spoons, pour the syrup over the popcorn and nuts.
• Stir to coat thoroughly.
• Pour the mixture into the pan.
• Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from the oven, cool mixture in pan for about 15 minutes.
• Turn the mixture out of pan onto foil to cool completely.
• Break the popcorn into smaller pieces.
• Store in an airtight containers in cool dry place.

MACADAMIA BUTTER CRUNCH POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Divide the popcorn and nuts between 2 ungreased 13- by 9-inch rectangular pans. Make sure the popcorn and nuts are evenly mixed.
• In a medium saucepan, cook the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt over medium heat, stirring constantly until bubbly around the edges. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes, and then remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the baking soda until foamy. Pour the mixture over the popcorn and nuts, stirring until the corn is well coated. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

OLD-FASHIONED BUTTER CRUNCH

Steps:

• To make the butter crunch mixture, melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, stir in almonds, and pour out into prepared pan, spreading the mixture with the back of a spoon to fill the pan. Before the butter crunch hardens, but when it is firm enough to handle, turn it out onto a large parchment-covered cutting board and peel away the foil. Allow the butter crunch to cool completely. To finish the butter crunch, wipe the top surface of the candy with a damp paper towel to remove excess butter and allow to dry a few minutes. Have another cutting board or the back of a jelly-roll pan ready to turn the candy over onto. Use a small offset metal icing spatula to spread half the tempered chocolate quickly over the butter crunch. Scatter half the chopped almonds over the chocolate. Cover this finished surface with a piece of parchment paper or foil and place another cutting board or the back of a large jelly-roll pan. Remove top board and paper and quickly spread with remaining tempered chocolate and scatter on remaining almonds (it isn't necessary to wipe the second side because it wasn't against a buttered surface). Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set chocolate. Break the butter crunch into 2-inch pieces. Store candy in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover and keep at a cool room temperature for up to a week.

MACADAMIA BUTTER-CRUNCH POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Put popcorn in a large bowl. Add the nuts; set aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a gentle simmer, about 4 minutes. Stop stirring; continue cooking until mixture lightens in color, 5 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda.
• Pour sugar mixture over popcorn and nuts; toss to coat. Transfer to rimmed baking sheets; bake, stirring every 20 minutes, until almost dry, about 1 hour. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.