Happy Holidays!

This is the week of last minute prepping, shopping and planning, so I am going to keep this blog short and sweet. I encourage everyone to take time for yourself. That might mean finding a few minutes to enjoy a good book, taking a walk and admiring the decorations in your neighborhood, savoring a beverage of some kind, getting lost in a favorite pastime, cuddling with a loved one or soaking in a bubble bath. Always remember that taking care of yourself will help get you through whatever life throws at you. Be kind to yourself and others, be mindful of the joy all around you and do not forget to smile. No matter what holiday you do or do not celebrate, I am wishing everyone a very happy season. 

This week’s recipe is another easy snack you can make to take to a party or to give away as a gift. I have a friend who loves a good Dark and Stormy cocktail. If you are not familiar with it, it consists of Gosling rum, ginger beer and lime. While shopping online I came across a company that sells Dark and Stormy Caramel Popcorn. I thought it would be a perfect gift until I saw that shipping cost more than the bag of popcorn. A quick internet search turned up a recipe for the same popcorn, so I decided a homemade gift would be even better! I think you could modify this recipe to accommodate whatever your favorite drink is. Old fashioneds? Try adding bourbon, some maraschino cherry juice, bitters and orange zest. Margaritas? Add tequila, lime zest and lime juice. Mojitos? Use rum, mint extract, and lime zest. You get the idea! (This is grown-up popcorn! Because you do not really cook the alcohol I do not think it will burn off, so best to kept this away from children).

Dark and Stormy Caramel Popcorn

recipe from Lottie+Doof

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/4 lb) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

Zest of 1 lime

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

3 tablespoons Gosling’s Black Seal Rum (I used an airplane size bottle of Myers spiced rum)

12 cups of popped popcorn (I used 1/2 cup of kernels in my air popper)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease two clean metal half sheet pans and set aside. (I lined mine with parchment to make clean-up easier)
2. In a heavy-bottomed 1-gallon pot, (I used my cast-iron dutch oven to make stirring easier) heat the butter, sugar, and corn syrup over medium-high heat, stirring until melted and incorporated. Allow the mixture to cook until you smell the caramelized sugar, and see it turn a light amber/beige color (This took about 5-8 minutes). Remove the pot from the heat, and whisk in the baking soda. Then whisk in the salt, lime zest, ginger, and rum (be careful, the caramel will release a lot of steam, so guard your hands). When all the ingredients are incorporated, fold in the popcorn using a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon. Keep folding, pulling caramel up from the bottom of the pot and over the popcorn, until it is well coated.
3. Spread the popcorn out on the sheet pans, and bake for 20 minutes, pulling it out every five minutes to fold and toss to better coat the popcorn with caramel. Remove from the oven to cool completely (about 20 minutes), then serve, or seal in airtight bags.
4. Enjoy!