Maple Bacon Popcorn Food

MARSHMALLOW MAPLE BACON POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Toss popcorn, cranberries, and pecans in large heatproof bowl; sprinkle with salt.
• Melt butter in large microwave-safe bowl on high for about 40 seconds. Stir in marshmallows; microwave on high for 1 minute and 15 seconds, stopping once halfway through to stir. Stir until mixture is melted and smooth.
• Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn mixture, folding with rubber spatula until well-combined. Let cool enough to handle.
• Oil hands; form mixture into 15 evenly-sized balls, pressing firmly.

MAPLE BACON POPCORN

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a skillet until crispy, and once cooled, crumble it up. Reserve the bacon drippings.
• In a medium (2 quart) saucepan combine 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings and three kernels of popcorn; place on a tight-fitting lid and cook over medium heat. When you hear the three kernels pop, it is time to add the rest of the popcorn inches Gently shake the pot as the popcorn cooks and pops. When you hear less than one pop every one to two second, turn off the heat and let the pan sit for one minute. On a large baking sheet (13X18) coated with cooking spray, spread out the popcorn and sprinkle with salt.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. In a medium pot (2 quart) combine brown sugar, maple syrup, and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Sugar mixture should be boiling and will start to thicken when it is ready after about 6-9 minutes. Turn off the heat, and quickly stir in the vanilla and baking soda; the mixture will turn lighter in color and will become foamy.
• Evenly pour the sugar mixture over the popcorn. Sprinkle with the bacon bits. Place the pan into the oven and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let the popcorn cool and harden, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

MAPLE BACON SNACK MIX

Steps:

• Line 2 sheet pans with waxed paper, then set aside.
• Add the popcorn, bacon, pretzels and nuts to a large bowl. Mix and set aside.
• Add the sugar, butter, maple syrup, corn syrup and salt to a large, heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a candy thermometer and place over a medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, stir together, then turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the candy thermometer reads "hard-crack stage" (300 degrees F), 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the maple extract. Carefully pour over the snack mix and toss using two wooden spoons. Transfer to the prepared sheet pans and spread out to allow it to cool, about 10 minutes. Break into clusters and transfer to a large serving bowl.

MAPLE-BACON POPCORN

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then crumble finely. Pour the fat from the skillet into a spouted measuring cup. Add vegetable oil as needed to make 1/4 cup fat; if there is more than 1/4 cup bacon fat, pour off the extra. Set the skillet aside.
• Pour the bacon fat into a stockpot (12-quart or larger) over medium heat. Add a few popcorn kernels; when they begin to sizzle, add the remaining kernels and shake to coat in the oil. Cover the pot and cook, shaking frequently, until the popping has almost stopped (a pop every second or two), about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and keep covered.
• In the skillet used for the bacon, melt the butter and maple syrup over medium-low heat, stirring to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the crumbled bacon and then pour the mixture over the popcorn; toss well to coat all of the kernels. Season with salt and toss again. Serve immediately.