Spicy Popcorn With Piment Despelette And Marcona Almonds Recipe Epicuriouscom Food

SWEET AND SPICY POPCORN

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons coconut oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the popcorn kernels, partially cover and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the popping slows down. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl. Wipe out the pot.
• Stir the confectioners' sugar, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, the garlic powder, cumin and cayenne together in a small bowl.
• Melt the remaining 1/4 cup coconut oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the popcorn and half of the sugar mixture, cover the pot and shake to coat. Add the remaining sugar mixture and continue to shake until well coated.

SPICY POPCORN WITH PIMENT D'’ESPELETTE AND MARCONA ALMONDS

Steps:

• Mix 1/2 teaspoon piment d'Espelette and 1/2 teaspoon salt in small bowl and reserve.
• Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon piment d'Espelette and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Combine popcorn kernels and peanut oil in large deep pot with lid. Heat over medium-high heat, occasionally swirling pot so that popcorn kernels are coated with oil. Cover pot. When popcorn kernels start popping, rotate pot over burner until all kernels have popped. Remove popcorn from heat. Immediately add melted butter mixture and Marcona almonds to pot. Cover pot. Using oven mitts, firmly hold pot and lid together and shake until popcorn and Marcona almonds are well coated with melted butter mixture. Transfer popcorn mixture to serving bowl. Sprinkle with reserved piment d'Espelette-salt mixture and serve.
• Tender Spanish almonds that are usually sold roasted and salted; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and natural foods stores and online from latienda.com.

SPICED MARCONA ALMONDS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
• Whisk together egg white, salt, cumin, and paprika in a bowl, then add almonds and toss to coat. Spread almonds evenly on baking sheet and roast until golden, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer nuts on parchment to a rack and cool completely (almonds will crisp as they cool). Loosen nuts from parchment with a spatula and transfer to a bowl.

SPICY PIMENTóN POPCORN

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat, heat oil and 3 popcorn kernels. When kernels pop, add remaining kernels, lower heat to medium-low, and cover almost all the way with a lid, leaving a tiny crack open for steam to escape (face the crack away from where you are standing).
• Cook, shaking occasionally, until popping stops.
• Transfer popcorn to a bowl, and immediately toss with salt, cumin, sweet paprika and pimentón, if using. For the utmost crunch, let popcorn settle for 5 to 7 minutes before eating.

SWEET-AND-SPICY POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Spread the pumpkin seeds or almonds in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until nicely toasted, stirring once. Transfer to a large heat-proof bowl and set aside. Pop the popcorn according to package instructions and transfer to the bowl. Toss the popcorn with the seeds or nuts until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
• Combine the agave nectar and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring every other minute so that the mixture doesn't stick to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the liquid turns deep amber, about 10 minutes more. Turn off the heat and let the syrup sit for 1 minute. While whisking briskly, add the coconut milk, the 2 tablespoons coconut oil, the vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne and continue to whisk until the caramel is smooth. Cool for 1 minute, then pour the caramel over the popcorn mixture and stir until evenly coated. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Put on sanitary rubber gloves and add a dime-sized dollop of coconut oil in the palm of one hand. Rub your hands together until your palms are lightly coated and shape the popcorn mixture into 3-inch balls.

CARAMEL CORN WITH SMOKED ALMONDS AND FLEUR DE SEL

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease generously with nonstick vegetable-oil spray. Generously spray a large bowl and all but the handle part of a large spoon or rubber spatula.
• In a large deep pot with a lid, combine the popcorn kernels, oil, and salt and stir to coat the kernels in oil. Place the pot over moderately high heat, cover with a lid, and cook, shaking the pot frequently to redistribute the kernels, until all the kernels have popped, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the popped popcorn to the large prepared bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. DO AHEAD: The popcorn can be popped in advance and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.
• In a large deep pot over moderately high heat, combine the corn syrup, sugar, and 1/4 cup water and stir to combine. Cook, undisturbed, until the mixture develops a light amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add the baking soda and butter, and stir continuously to melt the butter and combine the ingredients, about 20 seconds. (The mixture will be very hot and will foam up at this point-continuous stirring will help the foaming subside.) Working quickly, pour the caramel over the popcorn and add the almonds, then use the prepared spoon or rubber spatula to stir everything together, trying to evenly coat the popcorn and nuts in caramel. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spreading out the caramel corn as much as possible. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and let cool and harden for about 20 minutes. Break the caramel corn into smaller, bite-size pieces and serve. DO AHEAD: Caramel corn can be prepared in advance and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.

CUMIN-AND-PAPRIKA-SPICED MARCONA ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, whisk together the egg white, salt, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of paprika, and the cayenne. Add the almonds and toss to coat.
• Spread the almonds out evenly on the prepared baking sheet and roast until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. Transfer to a plate to cool for about 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of cumin and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of paprika. Sprinkle this mixture over the cooled nuts. Store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.