Sweet Spicy Popcorn Crunch Or Balls Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick baking mats; set aside.
• In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add 3 popcorn kernels and cover until they pop. Add remaining popcorn kernels, cover, and shake pot continuously over burner until popcorn is completely popped, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer popcorn to large bowl; add peanuts and set aside.
• Combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, without stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes, swirling pot occasionally.
• Remove mixture from heat and quickly stir in salt and cayenne with a heatproof spatula or spoon. Immediately pour over popcorn mixture and stir to incorporate. Divide popcorn mixture evenly between baking sheets. Transfer to oven and bake, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Let cool on sheet pans before breaking apart into clusters. Store popcorn in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Steps:

• Pop the popcorn according to package instructions. While hot, carefully open package and dump into a large bowl.
• Toast the pumpkin seeds in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until browned and popping, tossing and stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. (Do this in batches, if needed.) Add to the popcorn.
• Make caramel: Warm the cream over low heat and keep warm while you cook the sugar. Put the sugar and corn syrup and in a deep, heavy-bottomed large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring, raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until the sugar reaches the hard crack stage, or 305 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes.
• Whisk the butter and salt into the sugar mixture. Gradually pour in the cream and vanilla taking care since the mixture will bubble up. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar reaches soft ball stage, 240 degrees F on the thermometer, about 5 minutes more. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and cayenne. Cool for about a minute. Pour caramel over the popcorn and stir to evenly coat.
• When the popcorn is cool enough to handle, coat your hands with some butter and shape into 4-inch balls. Wrap in waxed paper and tie with a string, if desired. Serve or store covered at room temperature for up to a week.

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, margarine, cold water, confectioners' sugar and marshmallows. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Carefully combine the hot mixture with the popcorn, coating each kernel.
• Grease hands with vegetable shortening and quickly shape the coated popcorn into balls before it cools. Wrap with cellophane or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick baking mats; set aside.
• Pop popcorn according to package directions, get rid of unpopped kernels; set aside.
• Make caramel: Combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, without stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes, swirling pot occasionally.
• Remove mixture from heat and quickly stir in salt, vanilla, cinnamon & cayenne with a heatproof spatula or spoon. Immediately pour over popcorn mixture and stir to incorporate. Divide popcorn mixture evenly between baking sheets. Transfer to oven and bake, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Let cool on sheet pans before breaking apart into clusters. Store popcorn in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• *Note: If you opt for the 'pepitas' the pumpkin seeds instead of nuts (use one or the other not both) ~ you will need to toast the pumpkin seeds in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until browned and popping, tossing and stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. (Do this in batches, if needed.) Then, add to the popcorn.
• *If making popcorn balls, use following directions: When the popcorn is cool enough to handle, coat your hands with some butter and shape into 4-inch balls. Wrap in waxed paper and tie with a string, if desired. Serve or store covered at room temperature for up to a week.

Steps:

• Light coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
• Combine the popcorn, pretzel pieces, 1 cup of the peanut butter chips and 1 cup of the milk chocolate chips in a large bowl. Toss to distribute evenly.
• Melt the butter, confectioners' sugar, corn syrup and marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl in 15 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until completely melted.
• Pour the melted marshmallow mixture over the popcorn mixture and stir until evenly coated. Quickly, but gently form twelve 2 1/2-to-3-inch-diameter balls with either your hands or a large cookie scoop lightly coated with cooking spray. Pretend you're making snowballs, but don't pack them too hard. Place each of them in a well of the prepared muffin tin so they hold their shape as they cool.
• When the popcorns balls are cool, melt the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter chips, the remaining 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips and the white chocolate chips in each of 3 small microwave-safe bowls in 15 second intervals, stirring occasionally. Transfer the melted chips to each of 3 small piping bags or resealable bags. Snip the tips and drizzle over the popcorn balls. Top evenly with the crushed potato chips and let set, about 30 minutes, before serving.

Steps:

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the sugar, chili powder, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Add popcorn. Spray popcorn with cooking spray. Seal bag and shake to coat.

Steps:

• Combine popped corn and nuts; toss lightly with butter and salt.
• Spread on flat pan.
• Combine sugar, 1/2 cup butter and corn syrup in saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Boil and stir occasionally until mixture turns light caramel color.
• Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
• Pour over popcorn mixture and stir to coat evenly. Spread out.
• When cool, break apart and store in tightly covered container.