Popcorn Crunch Food

DELICIOUS POPCORN CRUNCH

Steps:

• Line baking sheets with aluminum foil.
• Combine popcorn, cranberries, pecans, and chocolate pieces together in a bowl.
• Stir sugar, butter, corn syrup, and vanilla extract together in a heavy saucepan; cook and stir over medium-high heat until boiling, about 5 minutes. Boil mixture for 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vinegar.
• Pour sugar mixture over popcorn mixture; mix until evenly coated. Spread coated popcorn mixture onto prepared baking sheets; cool. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

POPCORN CRUNCH

Steps:

• Preheat conventional oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large baking sheet and a large spoon. Set aside.
• Stir sugar, corn syrup and water together in a 2 1/2-quart souffle dish. Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power in a high-power microwave oven for 4 minutes. Stir.
• Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook for 31 minutes.
• While syrup is cooking, place pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once. Set aside.
• Remove syrup dish from oven. Prick plastic to release steam. Uncover and let stand for 2 minutes. Use the spoon to carefully stir in popcorn and nuts. Let stand for 5 minutes, turning the popcorn over in the mixture from time to time to make sure that the popcorn and the nuts are well coated.
• Spoon the mixture out onto the baking sheet. Use the back of the spoon to spread the popcorn mixture into an even layer. Let harden and cool, about 15 minutes.
• When cool, break into chunks with a wooden mallet or rolling pin. Store in an airtight container.

ALMOND POPCORN CRUNCH

Steps:

• Butter a large bowl.
• In a quart saucepan, combine sugars, syrup, water and salt.
• Cook to 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Add almonds; cook to 250 degrees stirring occasionally.
• Continue cooking to 295 degrees, stirring occasionally.
• Add butter; stir until melted and completely blended into the syrup mixture.
• Remove from heat.
• Add half the popcorn.
• Stir syrup up from the bottom of the pan, coating corn well.
• Pour remaining popcorn into the buttered bowl.
• Pour mixture over the popcorn in the bowl; stir until all corn is covered and almonds are evenly distributed.
• Spread mixture onto a cold buttered surface; break apart with a fork.

CANDY CANE POPCORN CRUNCH

Steps:

• Pop popcorn.
• 1/2 cup of unpopped popcorn yields approximately 10 cups of popped popcorn.
• Make 24 cups of popcorn.
• This is approximate-- not to worry if you have 22 cups or 28 cups-- it is a forgiving recipe.
• Put candy canes into a food processor.
• Finely crush.
• Melt dipping wafers following the package instructions.
• I used the microwave instructions-- very simple& easy.
• Put popcorn into a large bowl-- you need a really big bowl-- I actually used 2 bowls.
• Add melted dipping wafers to popcorn and stir to coat.
• A gentle hand is a good idea-- Add crushed candy canes and gently mix.
• Spread popcorn mixture onto paper lined cookie sheets.
• I used non stick aluminum foil-- it worked well-- I used 2 cookie sheets.
• Place cookie sheets in frig for approximately 30 minutes or until coating hardens-- I had 2 cookie sheets and not enough frig space so I put 1 cookie sheet in the frig and the other cookie sheet in the freezer (for 15 minutes only) to harden the coating-- Remove from frig/freezer-- break into pieces.
• Store in airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks (I have not tried storing in the freezer yet).

PRALINE POPCORN CRUNCH

Steps:

• Butter baking sheet and large bowl.
• Toast pecans and almonds until light brown.
• Combine popped corn and nuts in a large bowl.
• Heat sugar, butter, 1/4 cup Praline liqueur and corn syrup in a heavy 2 quart saucepan.
• Stir over medium high heat, to 275~, or until soft crack stage.
• Remove from heat, stir in 1 tbls. Praline liqueur and salt.
• Pour over the popcorn and nuts.
• Mix and spread immediately on baking sheet.
• Let stand 1 hour. Break into bite sized pieces.

HONEY CRUNCH POPCORN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300°F; spray large nonstick baking sheet with spray.
• Combine popcorn and pecans in large bowl; mix lightly.
• Set aside.
• Combine brown sugar and honey in small pan.
• Cover and cook on medium heat just till brown sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Pour over popcorn toss lightly to coat evenly.
• Transfer to baking sheet.
• Bake 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.
• Spray large sheet of wax paper with spray.
• Transfer popcorn to wax paper to cool.
• Store in airtight containers.
• You can add 1 cup chopped, mixed dry fruit immediately after removing from the oven if desired.

HOMEMADE CARAMEL POPCORN CRUNCH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300°F.
• Cook caramels, butter and water in saucepan on low heat 10 min. or until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently.
• Combine popcorn and wafers in large bowl. Add caramel mixture; mix lightly. Spread onto rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 20 min., stirring after 10 min. Spread onto sheet of waxed paper; cool completely. Break into small clusters.