Too much popcorn - now what?

[Canice]

Oops, popped more than I meant to!
Of course I can eat it cold, or I could make popcorn balls (if I had any idea how to, or if I actually knew what they were) but I'm wondering what else to do? Didn't AB eat it for breakfast, like cereal? Or can I mix it up with something to make a bar or drop cookie? What else?

FWIW, it's all-natural (Rancho Gordo) with no added flavors or such, cooked up on the stovetop. Pretty basic.

[oceanjasper]

Popcorn string for your Christmas tree?

[Canice]

Sounds good! How 'bout I mail it to you and you ship back the garland?

[ErinM]

I'll send you Cody. That dog loves popcorn more that life itself. You can deal with his greedy *ss, because after having him bug you 3 times to give him more, you kinda want to kill him.*




*For the record, I totally love my dog.

[oceanjasper]

I'll send you Cody. That dog loves popcorn more that life itself. You can deal with his greedy *ss, because after having him bug you 3 times to give him more, you kinda want to kill him.*




*For the record, I totally love my dog.

My old lab LOVED popcorn. He would even munch on the unpopped seeds before you could get the bowl back.

[Autumn]

My grandma says they would have popcorn and milk together for breakfast during the Depression. Not exactly a ringing endorsement...

[HealthyinMN]

Here's one of our sweet favorite ways to use up popcorn! It's a bit different, but we've been sending it out during the past 2 years of holiday baking and most loved it!

Popcorn Brittle(Adapted from CL)



5 1/2 cups popcorn, popped without salt or fat - about 1/4 cup raw kernals
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons brown rice syrup (original called for corn syrup)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Place popcorn into a large ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Combine sugar, syrup, and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook 1 minute or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 270° (about 8-10 minutes). Stir in molasses and butter; cook until thermometer registers 290° (about 5 minutes). Stir in baking soda, vanilla, and salt. This will bubble rapidly so be careful. Quickly stir popcorn into boiling syrup mixture. Pour popcorn mixture onto prepared pan quickly, but being careful as it is very hot. Spread to 1/4-inch thickness using a wooden spoon coated with cooking spray. Cool completely; break into large pieces.

[Kathy B]

How much extra are we talking about?

If it's just a little, you can feed it to the birds. (I googled just to make sure it wasn't harmful to them....as long as it's not microwave popcorn, it's fine. Microwave popcorn is too salty and high fat for them.) You can just scatter it, or if you are feeling creative, mix it with peanut butter and birdseed and form it into fun shapes.

If it's a lot, you could make Emeril's Cracker Jacks. I made it last year during the holidays.....yummy! The recipe calls for 9 cups.

[Aninha]

CL's Caramel Popcorn is also delicious!
I have made it a while ago for my DS and we loved it! We shared some with a friend and they also liked it a lot!
The recipe is here.
My only changes was to use brown rice syrup in place of the corn syrup and to omit the molasses (do not like it). Also, they were ready a lot quicker than the recipe stated. I stirred every 10 minutes and mine were done in about 30 minutes (any longer and it would have burned caramel flavor, which is not good...), so keep an eye on them!
Ana

[Kathy B]

CL's Caramel Popcorn is also delicious!.....
My only changes was to use brown rice syrup in place of the corn syrup and to omit the molasses (do not like it).

I used brown rice syrup for the cracker jacks I made as well, and it worked fine. I am so happy to have learned about brown rice syrup from the BB!

[cookieee]

Makes great packing if you are shipping out any presents. Like to me...a big popcorn lover who has never "popped too much".

[Beth]

I haven't tried this one yet, but I posted it for someone who was looking for easy cookies and remembered it. Looks like you could increase the amount if you wanted.

I love caramel corn, but have yet to fid the perfect recipe. Popcorn balls are great, but no one around here likes them, so I don't generally make them. They aren't too hard. I think I last used the Joy of Cooking recipe -- do you have that?

Popcorn Puffs

These little puffs are both tasty and easy to make -- especially with the kids.

1 large egg white
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped popcorn (or lightly smashed?)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a cookie sheet.

Beat the egg white and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until frothy. With mixer at high speed, gradually add the brown sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Mix in the popcorn and vanilla. Drop teaspoon of the mixture 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake 15-20 min or until golden brown. Transfer to racks to cool.

Makes 16-20 cookies. Keeps 5 days.
From Reader's Digest's Cookies, 1001 Mouthwatering Recipes from Around the World

[Alleycat]

My only changes was to use brown rice syrup in place of the corn syrup

I saw this substitution in the popcorn recipe too. Where does one find brown rice syrup? Can you use it interchangably in all recipes (like cookies)?

[heavy hedonist]

also good instead of croutons on soups, especially thick cheesy ones...

[Beth]

also good instead of croutons on soups, especially thick cheesy ones...

or with tomato soup

[Canice]

What great suggestions - thanks, everyone! Right now I'm leaning toward Joe's popcorn brittle, but I won't be making it til this evening, so I can decide later.

Kathy, your suggestion of feeding it to the birds made me smile: my late sister always had a container of bird seed in her car. She loved all animals greatly, even the grungy little brownish black birds that hang out in parking lots. She always had a handful or two of seed for them.

[Beth]

That popcorn brittle does look interesting. I am going to have to try it sometime too. I'm making treats for a carolling party right now. I'll see how my time goes.

[Vancouver Lori]

Another idea for excess popcorn ... Don't know if you read my post "Are these recipes OK for people w/celiac?", but it was refering to two Martha Steward Popcorn recipes (there are several on her website).

Chocolate Almond Popcorn

Macadamia Butter Crunch Popcorn

I made half recipes of both of these last night. They were both good, and easy, abeit a bit time consuming.

[ADM]

Make Caramel Corn; Kettle Corn or Crackerjacks! Many other flavored corn recipes (Chocolate; Cranberry; Gingerbread; Pina Cokada), or make Popcorn Balls.

[Vinca]

I agree with the Caramel Corn suggestion. Caramel Corn is always a Big hit !

[Canice]

Joe, that recipe is total winner!! Thank you sooo much!
I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant when I saw the candy thermometer part since I have no confidence in myself to use it properly and/or not to overcook the sugar. My execution was imperfect (printer is broken so I hand wrote the recipe - and left out an ingredient and a step! so had to run back to the bedroom to look up the recipe while the sugar cooked. But it turned out just fine, and I will definitely be making it again, maybe adding some salted nuts.

Any more favorite recipes, and I'm game (think I'll try Beth's cookies next).

[misskitty100]

Here's one of our sweet favorite ways to use up popcorn! It's a bit different, but we've been sending it out during the past 2 years of holiday baking and most loved it!

Popcorn Brittle(Adapted from CL)



5 1/2 cups popcorn, popped without salt or fat - about 1/4 cup raw kernals
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons brown rice syrup (original called for corn syrup)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Place popcorn into a large ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Combine sugar, syrup, and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook 1 minute or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 270° (about 8-10 minutes). Stir in molasses and butter; cook until thermometer registers 290° (about 5 minutes). Stir in baking soda, vanilla, and salt. This will bubble rapidly so be careful. Quickly stir popcorn into boiling syrup mixture. Pour popcorn mixture onto prepared pan quickly, but being careful as it is very hot. Spread to 1/4-inch thickness using a wooden spoon coated with cooking spray. Cool completely; break into large pieces.

I don't have an air popper so if I popped the corn in some oil would this recipe still work? Or does the popcorn truely need to be fat free?

What is brown rice syrup? Can you get it at the regular grocery store?

[Kathy B]

I think this is the brand I buy....

Brown Rice Syrup

I can find it in the health food section of my HyVee grocery store, but I haven't seen it in any of the others. Probably the easiest thing to do is call your store and ask if they carry it. If they don't, they might order it for you.

I have used it in 3-4 recipes calling for high fructose corn syrup, subbing it 1:1, and they have all turned out fine. Two examples are the pecan pie we made at Thanksgiving, and the cracker jack recipe from earlier in the thread.

I have read several articles which indicate that HFCS is not very good for us, and I have tried to avoid it in recipes since then. That's why I was happy to discover brown rice syrup.

[HealthyinMN]

Joe, that recipe is total winner!! Thank you sooo much!
I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant when I saw the candy thermometer part since I have no confidence in myself to use it properly and/or not to overcook the sugar. My execution was imperfect (printer is broken so I hand wrote the recipe - and left out an ingredient and a step! so had to run back to the bedroom to look up the recipe while the sugar cooked. But it turned out just fine, and I will definitely be making it again, maybe adding some salted nuts.

Any more favorite recipes, and I'm game (think I'll try Beth's cookies next).

Woo! Glad you got to try it out, it is a bit unusual, but we can't stop eating it whenever I get a chance to make it! I've been known to frantically run up the stairs to the computer for a recipe that I "thought" I had everything together for... hee hee! I like the salted nut idea - it would be a nice crunch to cut some of the sweetness.

Since you asked for more recipes... this one is killer and SO hard to give away. It gets bonus points for making the house smell wonderful when it is baking!

Gingerbread Popcorn



15 cups popped popcorn
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 250

Line 2 large baking dishes (I used 9 X 13 pans) with foil and coat with cooking spray. Fill each with 7 1/2 cups popcorn.

Combine butter, brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a large, heavy bottom saucepan. Heat over medium heat until mixture boils. Boil for 5 minutes; stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add baking soda. Pour over popcorn; toss to coat.

Bake at 250 for one hour, carefully stirring the warm mixture about every 15 minutes. Cool completely.

[Beth]

I wanted to make that last year and DH kept turning his noe up at the idea! I think I'll make some while he is at work. If it isn't any good, I can dump it before he gets home. If it is, I can decide whether to eat the evidence, hide it, or share.

Glad to hear it was good.

[HealthyinMN]

I don't have an air popper so if I popped the corn in some oil would this recipe still work? Or does the popcorn truely need to be fat free?

What is brown rice syrup? Can you get it at the regular grocery store?

I can't imagine it would ruin the recipe at all - I would just make the popcorn however you could.

I think this is the brand I buy....

Brown Rice Syrup

That is the kind I buy as well.

[Canice]

Misskitty, I made my popcorn on the stove using canola oil and I don't think the recipe suffered any for it; it's not like it's enough to make the actual popcorn oily.

OK, the ginger popcorn goes on the list, too. It's funny, one Christmas season I was all about cut out cookies (not my forte!), one year it quick breads, one year different flavored or add-in brownies. This may be the year of popcorn treats.

I've been known to frantically run up the stairs to the computer for a recipe that I "thought" I had everything together for... hee hee!

Oh yea. First I saw the part about adding the water. "Water? What water?" Jog, jog back to the bedroom. Then, Wait a sec: The recipe calls for molasses, but where the heck do I add it? It's not in MY recipe! Jog, jog. Then back to kitchen. Shoot. Wait, was the BEFORE or after? Jog, jog.
And yes, I do have a laptop. And, no, I can't answer your next question.

[Alleycat]

OMG -- gingerbread popcorn. Two of my favorite things together! This I have to try