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Spicy butter caramel popcorn
Serves 4-8 Desserts and puddings
Ingredients
- 1tbsp sunflower oil
- 110g popping corn
- 200g unsalted butter, diced
- 200g soft light brown sugar
- 1tbsp clear honey or golden syrup
- 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the spices
- 1 scant tsp fine sea salt
- 1tsp black mustard seeds
- 1tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4tsp ground mace
- 1/4tsp ground chilli
Method
Mix the salt and spices together in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat, add the popping corn and cover.
Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for around 4 minutes until the popping stops, then tip into a large bowl, picking out and discarding any unpopped kernels.
Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper and add the butter, sugar and honey or syrup. Cook gently over a low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium and bring to the boil without stirring. Leave to bubble for 4-5 minutes until the mixture reaches 123C on a sugar thermometer or the bubbles get slower and larger. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the spices, followed by the bicarbonate of soda, which will which will cause the mixture to bubble to a hot foam.
Immediately pour the mix over the popcorn and stir to coat, then spread out on to the baking sheet to cool. It should set hard but if the caramel remains sticky or you want more crunch, put the tray of popcorn in an oven heated to 170C/150C F/Gas 3 for 10 minutes or so, break up any large clumps and cool again before serving. Once dried, it will keep in a tin for a few days.
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