Ingredients
1. 16 cups popped
popcorn (about 2 bags microwave popcorn)
2. 1 cup butter
3. 1/3 cup Karo syrup
4. 2 cups Red Hot
candies
5. 1/2 teaspoon
cinnamon oil (more or less to taste)
6. 1 cup chocolate
chips
7. 1 tablespoon
shortening
Instructions
1. Place the popcorn
in a very large, heat-safe bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to
275 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and grease or spray with
non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
3. In a medium
saucepan, combine butter, Karo syrup, and Red Hots. Bring to a boil over medium
heat, stirring very frequently, and then reduce heat to medium-low and boil for
5 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon oil and then pour over the popcorn, stirring
with wooden spoons to evenly coat the popcorn in the candy mixture.
4. Divide the popcorn
evenly between the two baking sheets and spread in a single layer over each
baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the
oven and allow to cool completely.
5. In a
microwave-safe jar or measuring cup, add the chocolate chips and the
shortening. Heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until the
chocolate is smooth and liquidy. Using a fork, drizzle the chocolate over the
popcorn and allow to harden. Break into pieces and serve or divide into bags to
deliver as gifts.
*My own notes after trying their recipe.
1. I bought my red hots at Wal Mart. They looked a little pink instead of red. I know WinCo has red hots in their bulk section and they look more red than the ones I had. I didn't have much time the day I went to get supplies and Wal Mart was closer than WinCo.
2. Cinnamon oil- next time I will buy 2 pkgs of cinnamon oil. Those little bottles don't have much in them. I like more cinnamon flavor than the 1/2 tsp called for in the recipe. Would have been nice to add a little more to each batch.
3. I pop the popcorn on the stove top instead of buying microwave popcorn, I think it tastes better and it's cheaper.
4. Once I put the popcorn in the oven the cinnamon syrup tends to pool underneath the popcorn. I stirred the popcorn a couple of times in the oven to get the syrup all over the popcorn and I did the same once it came out of the oven. No sense in leaving all that syrup on the foil.
5. Once the cinnamon oil is added to the syrup you might want to just lean back away from the stove a little. Stirring in the oil tends to create this puff of steam that's pretty intense if you breathe it in right away.
