Peanut Butter Popcorn
Popcorn is good by itself but even better when it's turned into gourmet heaven. That's exactly what I did to a batch of fresh made on the stove popcorn the other night. Afterwards, the night was complete because what else is there after eating popcorn that's part milk chocolate and part chunky peanut butter? On second thought there could be a good movie to go with it but that's besides the point.
Popcorn is good by itself but even better when it's turned into gourmet heaven. That's exactly what I did to a batch of fresh made on the stove popcorn the other night. Afterwards, the night was complete because what else is there after eating popcorn that's part milk chocolate and part chunky peanut butter? On second thought there could be a good movie to go with it but that's besides the point.
- Carbohydrate 0.07232 g
- Cholesterol 259.146666666667 mg
- Fat 97.7645866666667 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 1.02453333333333 g
- Saturated Fat 61.9155626666667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (348g)
- Sodium 168.290666666667 mg
- Sugar 0.07232 g
- Trans Fat 6.84388266666668 g
- Calories 864 calories
Step-by-step
- Pop about 12 cups of popped popcorn but before it pops add about 2 tablespoons of Kernel Season's Kettle Corn mix to give the popcorn an extra coating so it holds up better.
- In a large pot combine 2 cups of brown sugar, 3/4 cups of corn syrup, and 2 sticks of unsalted butter.
- Bring the brown sugar, light corn syrup, and sticks of butter to a boil for about 3 minutes (above) and when it's about 2 minutes into boiling add 8 ounces of milk chocolate chips (below).
- The chocolate chips are enveloped into a sweet gooey vortex of goodness.
- Stir the mix a little when the chocolate chips are almost completely melted.
- After the mix has boiled for about 3 minutes in all, take it off the heat and stir until smooth.
- In a large pyrex bowl or dish pour the boiled chocolate mix onto the popcorn. This process takes a little time but it's important to toss until all the popcorn kernels are evenly coated with the chocolate and bake in the oven at 300 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. Afterwards, add a dash of salt to the mix for taste. You're now baked chocolate popcorn mix should look like the image above after all this. Let this mix cool for about 30 minutes.
- Melt 1 1/2 cups of chunky peanut butter the microwave until it's smooth and able to be poured.
- Pour the chunky peanut butter over the popcorn and repeat the whole tossing process until the peanut butter evenly coats all the popcorn just like you did with the chocolate. Let it sit for over an hour in the refrigerator to ensure maximum goodness.
- When you're finally able to taste your chocolate peanut butter popcorn creation you'll know that the time you put into it was well worth it. Worth it because this popcorn is just as good as any popcorn you could get at a gourmet popcorn shop. Trust me, I love frequenting those places and would do so over and over but I'm thankful that I'm able to create gourmet popcorn at home that is comparable.
- Although, don't take my word it. Try this chocolate recipe at home and it's safe to say that you'll find yourself enjoying the caramelized taste of the chocolate, combined with the smoothness of the peanut butter, mixed with the nuttiness of the chunky, and the crunchy of the popcorn.
Most home cooks ruin stovetop popcorn by adding sugar coatings too early or failing to dry out the kernels completely before the coating process begins. Achieving proper crunch requires strict adherence to temperatures and timing.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot for popping to maintain even heat distribution and prevent scorching.
- When boiling the brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter, use a candy thermometer to hit precisely 300 degrees Fahrenheit for a crisp finish rather than a sticky chew.
- Bake the chocolate-coated popcorn at 300 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes to set the sugar matrix securely onto the corn.
- Chill the final peanut butter-coated mixture in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes to harden the fats and yield clean breakable clusters.
- Substitute light corn syrup with golden syrup at a 1:1 ratio if you prefer a less sweet, more buttery caramel background note.
Scaling this batch requires doubling the pot size to ensure adequate room for tossing without crushing the popped corn. Proper storage in an airtight container keeps the snack crisp for up to five days.
