Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls

I made these for Gavin's snack day today at school.  SUPER cute. SUPER fun to make.  SUPER easy!!

Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls
Recipe from Dig This Chick
Prep time:  20 minutes   Cook time: 10 minutes

15 cups popped popcorn [This is about 3/4 cup unpopped kernals if you're doing your own popping]
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp canola oil

1.  Mix honey and sugar in a pot and cook over medium heat until melty and boiling. Turn off heat, add peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.

Keep stirring until smooth

2.  Pour the canola oil on a plate so it's easier to get the oil on your entire palm. Pour the hot peanut butter mixture over popcorn and mix as gently as you can.  You will crunch some of the popcorn and that's ok.  Just try to get everything fairly evenly coated.

I had to use my largest soup pot for all this popcorn.

3.  When you are able to stand touching the popcorn (it’ll be hot!), palm the oil with both hands. Grab a clump of popcorn and firmly shape into a ball. Keep it up, dipping in oil as necessary (to prevent popcorn from sticking to hands). Makes about 20 three-inch balls.

A plate makes oiling your hands SO MUCH EASIER

One of my favorite things about kindergarten is Snack Day.  I actually don't often get a chance to play with snack recipes as my boys are satisfied with fresh fruit, goldfish crackers, cheese sticks, and the occasional granola bar.  So when Gavin has to supply his class of 18 students with a snack once a month, I get pretty giddy about it and hit up my cache of snack recipes.  This one I mentioned to Gavin when I found it, and after he finished drooling he immediately requested I make them for his next Snack Day.  Happy to oblige!

Cheddar Popcorn

I've talked about my love of the Spice House here before, right?  I love that place!  It is sooo easy though to get myself into trouble and buy WAY MORE than I intended to get.  And of course spending WAY MORE money in the process.  Lately I've been better at keeping myself in check because I decided to allow myself one, reasonably-priced, splurge item per trip.

Well, my last visit there I let Gavin pick out the splurge item.  He immediately zeroed in on cheddar cheese powder.  And very quickly began to beg for me to make cheddar popcorn with it.

And a new family-favorite has been born in our house:

Cheddar Popcorn
Recipe adapted from The Spice House
Prep time: about 5 minutes   Cook time: about 5 minutes

6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup cheddar cheese powder
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup popcorn kernals
Salt

NOTE: This is how I make this popcorn using the tools I have available, which happens to be an air popper.  If you make popcorn on the stovetop or in the microwave, you may need less, or no, additional butter.

1.  I have learned the hard, soggy way that when it comes to buttering your popcorn with the real deal, you need to remove the water from it first.  You can do this one of two ways: clarifying or browning.  I happen to really like the nutty flavor of browned butter so I usually do the latter.  To do this, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. As it melts, the butter will foam up a bit (these are the milk solids, which you want to go away), then subside. Watch carefully as lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan. Once the butter begins to brown, it can burn rather quickly so don't walk away!! Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and place on a cool surface.

Beginning to melt

Foaming! Just let the butter do it's thing.

Yummy browned butter

2.  In a small bowl, combine the cheddar cheese powder, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper.

Mustard deepens the cheese flavor and cayenne gives the corn a subtle warmth.

3.  Pour the popcorn kernals into an air popper and turn it on.  As the popcorn pops into a large bowl, slowly drizzle the brown butter over and toss to coat.

Thoroughly butter the popcorn before seasoning or you'll get cheese powder clumps

4.  Working carefully, sprinkle some of the cheese mixture over the buttered popcorn and toss.  Keep sprinkling and tossing the popcorn until everything is coated to your preference.  Taste the popcorn and salt as necessary (toss the popcorn again after salting!).

Getting closer to that perfect orange color!

Ok so though I have been known to eat cheddar popcorn, it's never been one of my favorites.  I'd much rather have the classic buttered-and-salted, caramel, or kettle corn.  This was the first time I'd ever eaten fresh, homemade cheddar popcorn.

Now I see what all the fuss is about.  I have been converted.  This stuff is ADDICTING!!