Party Popcorn Recipes

My Candied Popcorn Recipe

1. Microwave a pkg of popcorn, or make your own. Pour into a bowl.
2. Use a small pan to melt 1/4 cup sugar on high heat. Stirring with a knife as it melts. It will melt fast.
3. Smash the lumps with your knife, tip pan away from heat so it all drains into the corner. When it is light brown in color and melted, carefully pour over your popcorn. Then stir with the knife.
4. The syrup is hot! The pan will be very hot! Put it in the sink and let water run over it slowly to cool it.

Experiment: I added a tsp of butter to the sugar while it was melting, it took longer for the sugar to melt, and did not pour as smoothly as if it was just melted sugar. But after I tasted the cooled popcorn it reminded me of Fiddle Faddle.

Peanut Butter Popcorn - Melt some peanut butter in a small bowl in the microwave for about 20 seconds, then stir it in your popped corn. Finger Lickin Good!

Cheese Popcorn - Save some of the package of cheese from your Kraft Mac and Cheese. Sprinkle over popcorn. I have also sprinkled Parmesan Cheese on my buttered popcorn.

Kettle Corn - If you like Kettle corn, add a tsp. of sugar to your pot before the popcorn starts popping. It will make your popcorn slightly sweet.

Seasoned Popcorn - Instead of sprinkling regular salt on your popcorn, sprinkle your favorite Seasoning Salt.

Rainbow Colored Flavored Popcorn

• 10 cups of popped corn, kernels removed.
• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 - 3 ounce package any colored flavored Jello or gelatin.
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Place the popcorn in a greased 17x12x2 inch baking pan. Keep popcorn warm in a 300 oven while making the syrup. Butter the bottom and sides of a heavy 2 quart saucepan. In the saucepan combine the butter or margarine, sugar, gelatin, water, and corn syrup.

Cook mixture over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the thermometer reaches 255 (hard ball stage)

Pour syrup mixture over popcorn and gently stir to coat popcorn. Bake in 300 oven for 5 minutes more. Stir once and bake for 5 minutes more. Turn popcorn mixture onto a large piece of foil. Cool completely. Break popcorn mixture into clusters. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Makes about 13 cups. Perfect for parties.

Make raspberry or strawberry - and lime popcorn for Christmas. Orange for Halloween. Fun!
Recipe from an 1985 Fun Foods Cookbook

Poppycock

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup white corn syrup
• 2 to 3 qts. popped popcorn
• Nuts (optional)

Boil the first 4 ingredients for 8 to 10 minutes; stir into popcorn. Add nuts if desired.
Recipe from 1998 Platte SD Recipebook pg 5

Candied Popcorn

• 1 1/2 cups sugar or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 quarts popped corn

Boil sugar or syrup with butter and water until it spins a long thread; pour this on corn and if desired shape into balls.
See the recipe: Candied Popcorn

Best Ever Candy Corn

• 2 1/2 quarts popped corn
• 1 pound (2 1/4 cups) light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup peanuts

Keep popped corn hot and crisp in slow oven (300). In large saucepan, combine sugar, syrup, water, butter, and salt. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until syrup reaches hard crack stage (290). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. In a large buttered bowl or pan mix the popcorn and nuts. Pour syrup in a fine stream over mixture.

Working quickly, mix well until kernels are completely coated. Spread out thin on buttered cooky sheets. Quickly separate into bite size clusters with 2 forks. Cool. Makes about 3 1/2 quarts.
Recipe from a 1963 Teaching Teens to Cook Cookbook

Peanut Butter Popcorn

Toss together and spread out in two 9x13 inch pans:
• 3 qts. popped popcorn (about 2/3 cup unpopped
• 1 cup blanched almonds, optional

Mix and boil hard for 2 minutes:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup

Then add:
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Pour mixture over popcorn. Stir and let cool.
See the recipe: Peanut Butter Popcorn

Seasoned Popcorn

• Pop corn, Fill garbage bag 2/4 full
• 2-3 pinches of dill weed
• 2 shakes garlic salt
• 1 shake Bea Monde
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 1/2 Tblsp. Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 tsp. Lawrey salt

Put popped con in a paper bag. Put spices in melted butter. Pour over popcorn and shake well.
See the recipe: Seasoned Popcorn
Beau Monde Seasoning is made by Spice Islands, and is a perfect balance of celery, onion and salt with a touch of sweetness. http://www.spiceislands.com/seasoning_mixes/beau_monde_seasoning

Meteorite Mix

• 2 c. small tortilla chips
• 1 1/2oz can potato sticks
• 1 c. miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 c. golden raisins
• 1 c. cinnamon star cookies
• 1 c. sugared peanuts
• 1 c. popped corn

Combine and serve.

My Note: I have no idea about the cinnamon star cookies. They must have been a tiny cookie sold back then.
Recipe from a 2001 Cedar County Recipebook Hartington, Nebraska

Harvest Popcorn Recipe

• 1/3 c. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. dried dill weed
• 1 tsp. lemon pepper
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 qt. popcorn

Pop the corn, mix butter and spices. Toss with remaining ingredients. Spread in jelly roll pan. Bake, stirring once, 6 to 8 minutes in 350 oven. Yields 2 1/2 quarts seasoned popcorn.

Popcorn Party Mix

• 1 cup corn for popping
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup liquid margarine or butter, melted
• 3/4 tsp. garlic salt
• 3/4 tsp. onion salt
• 1/4 tsp. celery salt
• 2 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
• 3 cups pretzels
• 2 cups salted peanuts

Pop corn in oil. Combine margarine and seasonings. Spread corn, pretzels and nuts in large roasting pan. Pour seasoned margarine over all and toss.

Bake in preheated 275 oven for about 30 minutes. When cold store in tight containers and keep cool. Makes 3 quarts.

My Note: 1/4 cup oil to cook 1 cup of popcorn?
See the recipe: Popcorn Party Mix

Snack Mix

• 1-1lb bag of plain M & M's
• 1 jar sunflower seeds, shelled
• 1 jar dry roasted peanuts
• 1 bag candy corn
• 1 bag raisins

Put in an ice cream pail, put the lid on, shake well and eat.
Recipe from 1998 Platte SD Recipebook pg 6