Caramel Peanut And White Chocolate Popcorn Balls Recipes

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL POPCORN

Steps:

• Pop the popcorn. I like to use a hot-air popper but you can pop it any way you like.
• To make the caramel: Place the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until light golden brown. We use a large pan so that there will be room to add the popcorn. Use a wooden spoon to stir the popcorn into the caramel until it is evenly coated. Pour the caramelized popcorn onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow it to cool. When cool, use your hands to break up any clumps.
• Place the cool popcorn in a large bowl. Use a ladle to drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn, stirring with a wooden spoon as you go. Keep adding chocolate until the popcorn is evenly coated. Pour the chocolate-coated popcorn onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow it to cool. When it is cool, place it in decorative bags to give as gifts.
• Tip: You can also use milk chocolate and/or white chocolate to coat the popcorn. The process is always the same.
• Be careful when you work with the caramel. It is very hot and can burn! As always, when working with caramel, have a bowl of ice-cold water next to you in case you get caramel on your hands.

HOMEMADE CARAMEL POPCORN AND PEANUTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
• Place popcorn and peanuts in very large bowl; set aside.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter and corn syrup to boiling Boil 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda, salt and vanilla.
• Pour caramel mixture over popcorn mixture; toss until well coated. Spread popcorn mixture evenly on cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a large saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in peanut butter until mixture is smooth.
• Place popcorn in a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over popcorn; toss until evenly coated. Form into about 16 balls using buttered hands. Arrange balls on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet; allow to dry and set, at least 30 minutes.

CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CORN

Steps:

• Grease cookie sheets.
• Place popcorn and peanuts in a paper bag. Set aside.
• In a microwave safe bowl, combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt. Microwave 4 minutes, until bubbly. Stir in baking soda. Pour over popcorn mixture and shake bag to coat.
• Roll down edges of bag and place bag in microwave. Heat for 2 minutes, shaking three times to mix. Spread mixture onto prepared sheets to cool.
• In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and shortening. Microwave 90 seconds, stirring once, until melted. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. Let cool before serving.

ULTIMATE CARAMEL CHOCOLATE POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°. Place popcorn and nuts in a greased roasting pan; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir 5 minutes. , Remove from heat; stir in baking soda (mixture will foam). Quickly pour over popcorn and mix well., Transfer to two greased 15x10X1-in. baking pans. , Bake 1 hour or until dry, stirring every 15 minutes., In a microwave, melt each chocolate separately, adding 1 teaspoon shortening to each 1/2 cup chips; stir until smooth. Drizzle over popcorn mixture; let stand until set., Break into clusters. Store in an airtight container.,

CHOCOLATE POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Heat sugar, corn syrup, butter, cocoa and salt to boiling in a 4-quart kettle or Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• Stir in popcorn. Cook and stir until popcorn is coated, about 2 minutes. Cool to lukewarm.
• Shape into 3-inch balls. For easy shaping, dip hands in cold water from time-to-time. Place balls on waxed paper; cool.

WHITE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN

Steps:

• Prepare a clean paper shopping bag or oversized mixing bowl. Heat a large heavy pan over medium heat and film the bottom with vegetable oil. Add the popcorn, shake to distribute, then put a lid on the pan. Leave a small crack for steam to escape. When the popcorn starts popping, shake vigorously to make sure the kernels pop evenly. When the popping slows, take the pan off the heat.
• Pour the popcorn into the paper bag or bowl to cool, being careful to leave any unpopped kernels in the pan. Lightly salt the popcorn to taste.
• Mix the honey and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for a couple minutes, then remove from the heat and add the peanut butter. Stir vigorously until all the peanut butter is melted, and then mix in the vanilla.
• Immediately pour the peanut butter caramel over the popcorn and stir with a long-handled wooden spoon until it's all coated. Pour onto a greased cookie sheet. Drizzle with white chocolate.

BACON-CARAMEL POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a pan over medium heat until all the fat has rendered out, and all the pieces are well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer into a strainer set over a bowl to catch the excess grease. Let bacon cool to room temperature.
• Place popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Add cooled bacon and mix lightly until evenly distributed. Set aside until needed.
• Pour white sugar into a small saucepan and set over medium heat. As soon as the sugar begins to melt and turn clear around the edges, carefully shake and swirl the pan. Do not try to stir the sugar with a utensil! Just occasionally shake and swirl the pan, which will mix the still granulated sugar into the melted sugar.
• When almost all the sugar is melted, and the mixture is turning a light amber color, reduce the heat to low.
• Once all the sugar is melted, turn off the heat, and add cold butter cubes to the pan all at once. Carefully shake and swirl the pan until the butter melts into the sugar. Do not use a whisk yet.
• Add water and salt and use a whisk to mix until a smooth, thin caramel sauce forms. Some of the sugar may temporarily harden when you add the water, but just keep whisking until everything dissolves and you've achieved a smooth sauce. If it's not melting, turn the heat on low, and continue until it does.
• Remove from heat and quickly, but carefully, drizzle caramel sauce over the bacon and popcorn while tossing with a lightly buttered spatula. Continue tossing until the popcorn is evenly coated with the caramel.
• Lightly butter your hands, and as soon as the mixture has cooled down enough to stick together, form it into balls. Don't squeeze the balls too hard as you form them, or you will compress the popcorn and it will not be as light in texture. Transfer balls to a pan to cool completely.

CARAMEL, PEANUT AND WHITE CHOCOLATE POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Place the popcorn kernels into a large brown paper bag and roll the top down to seal the bag. Transfer to the microwave and microwave on high until all the kernels have popped, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer popcorn to a large bowl and mix with peanuts. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, water, corn syrup, and molasses and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until sauce reaches 260ºF, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and salt. Pour immediately on top of the popcorn and peanut mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
• Once cool enough to handle, spray your hands with cooking spray and form mixture into baseball sized-balls, about 3-inches in diameter. Place formed balls on prepared baking sheet and set aside until cooled completely and hardened.
• In a microwave safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until completely melted. Transfer melted chocolate to a piping bag or zip-top bag and snip off the tip or corner. Pipe lines on the popcorn ball so it resembles a baseball and allow chocolate to cool.
• Serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and keep up to 1 week.