Spicy Buttered Popcorn

Served by Camille and Leah at our Mighty Popo fundraiser concert in June 2011.

"Popcorn at the movies was ruined when they replaced the real butter with that odd-tasting "butter-flavored" topping. Popcorn really has no flavor, and it's only made edible with butter and salt, or even better, with a flavored butter. This spicy-sweet popcorn is my version of a savory snack served at a popular Toronto tapas bar to accompany pre-dinner drinks."

Ingredients

8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons puréed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 250ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the the popcorn on the paper. Set aside.
  2. Combine the sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in a saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir until the butter and sugar melt and the mixture comes to a boil. Stop stirring and boil until it reaches 250ºF on a kitchen thermometer. 
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chipotle peppers and baking soda. 
  4. Pour the mixture over the popcorn, and stir with a spatula until the popcorn is evenly coated.
  5. Bake the popcorn for 35 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Let cool and store in an airtight container.
Candy
Party
Snack
Source
Fat, An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes, Jennifer McLagan