with Amina Harris, Queen Bee
My husband, Ishai (z”l), used to make popcorn on the stovetop for our entire family — it was and remains a family favorite. This recipe brings this longstanding treat full circle with the addition of honey.
I chose to use Northwestern Maple Blossom Honey. It’s fruity with a hint of maple syrup in the background. Once the honey is warmed, the fruity notes of the honey really stand out.
It’s the buttery, salty, caramel flavors that make this a great fall and winter treat. Once you’ve finished the recipe, and sprinkled flaked salt on top, you will finish the popcorn, too!
INGREDIENTS
12-15 cups of popcorn (freshly popped is best but you could substitute bagged popcorn as long as it has no added flavors or seasonings.)
For the caramel:
- ½ cup Northwestern Maple Blossom Honey (Maple is superb, but other flavors will work well, too.)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For finishing:
- 2 teaspoons flaked sea salt (Like Maldon)
DIRECTIONS
This recipe is easiest with a candy thermometer.
- Heat the oven to 250° F.
- Line two baking trays with parchment paper and spread the popcorn onto the trays.
- Make the Caramel
- In a saucepan, melt the Northwest Maple Blossom Honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt together. Bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon, and keep it boiling until it reaches the soft ball stage on the candy thermometer – about 5 minutes (just under 240°F or 116°C). If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you’ve reached the right stage when the mixture coats the spoon and forms a soft ball when dropped into a glass of cold water.
- Remove the pan from the heat, stir to cool slightly. Add the baking soda. The mixture will begin to foam. Keep stirring to keep the caramel from going over the edge of the pan.
- Make the Maple Honey Caramel Salted Popcorn
- Pour the thickened caramel over the trays of popcorn and stir it around to coat the popcorn as well as you can. Don’t worry if you can’t get it all covered. As you bake the caramel popcorn, the sauce will stay gooey and you can continually coat it.
- Place the baking trays in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Every 10 minutes take the trays out, stir the popcorn, evenly coating with the caramel, and return the trays to the oven.
- After about 30 minutes, remove the trays from the oven and sprinkle the flaked sea salt. Stir the popcorn flipping it over and sprinkle the salt once again.
- Let the popcorn cool completely before serving. The caramel will harden as the mixture cools. Enjoy happily and store any extra in an airtight container.
