Cashew Butter Crunch Popcorn

By Hklbrries

Who doesn't love the miracle of popcorn - dried kernels that build up steam until they explode into airy, sweet and nutty nothingness? It's just too cool. And it's perfect for all sorts of flavors. While you can buy every imaginable flavor of the microwave stuff, why not make your own? Popping up kernels the old-fashioned way is great fun (and depressingly novel) for most kids.

The only trick in this recipe is handling the sugar syrup and using a candy thermometer to cook it to the specified temperature.

Consider making this for a kids' Halloween party: a big bowl of crunchy, buttery kettle corn. Better yet, save it for the adults' party later on.

Ingredients

• 14 cups freshly popped popcorn (made from about 1/2 cup popcorn kernels and 2 tbsp canola oil)
• 1 1/2 cups salted roasted cashews
• 8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, plus additional for greasing
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Details

Servings 15
Adapted from relishmagazine.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 250 F. Lightly butter a large baking sheet; spread popcorn and cashews on sheet. Keep warm in oven.

Mix butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in a small saucepan; stir frequently until simmering and sugar dissolves. Clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan and continue cooking undisturbed until temperature reaches 248 F (firm-ball stage).

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. The mixture will roll vigorously; continue stirring until smooth.

Drizzle sugar mixture evenly over popcorn and cashews; toss well with flat metal spatula or spoon.

Bake 45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet, then store in a covered container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Nutrition Information:
Per (1-cup) serving
230 calories
13 g fat
15 mg cholesterol
3 g protein
28 g carbohydrates
2 g fiber
190 mg sodium