Popcorn Granola

3/4 c Honey
1/3 c Butter or margarine
1 t Vanilla
3 c Unseasoned popped corn
6 c Quik-cooking rolled oats
1 c Sweet flaked dried coconut
1 c Bran cereal
1 c crunched shredded wheat
1 c Raisins
1/2 c Sesame seed

In a 12x15" roasting pan, combine honey, butter, and vanilla. Place in oven and turn heat on to 350'F. Meanwhile, whirl corn in a blender or food processor until finely ground. When butter is melted, in about 5 minutes, add to pan the ground corn, oats, coconut, bran cereal, wheat cereal, raisins, and sesame seed; mix well.

Bake in a 350 F. oven, stirring often, until richly browned, 40-45 minutes. Cool; serve. If made ahead, store airtight at room temperature up to 3 weeks.

Makes 11 cups.

Popcorn Starlets

1 1/2 quarts popped Jolly Time® popcorn
1 (14 ounce) bag caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon rum flavoring
About 48 pecan halves
1/2 cup canned chocolate fudge frosting

Place popped popcorn in a large bowl.

In medium saucepan over low heat, heat caramels, half and half and butter until caramels are melted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in rum flavoring.

Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and toss to coat well. Arrange pecan halves in groups of 3 on a greased baking sheet. Working quickly, spoon heaping tablespoonful of popcorn mixture onto the center of each pecan group.

Spoon frosting into a small saucepan; place over low heat until softened. Spoon over each mound of popcorn.

Store in a cool place.

Makes about 16.

Popcorn Surprises

8 cups popped corn
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup hot water
1/8 t salt
1/2 t vanilla
1 lb. chocolate coating

Measure popped corn into a large bowl. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, syrup, water, and salt. Cover tightly and bring to a rolling boil. Remove lid and add thermometer. Cook to 270 degrees; remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour cooked syrup over the popped corn, stirring to coat corn. Cool completely, then run through a food chopper. Melt chocolate coating in top of double boiler. Stir ground popcorn into chocolate, using as much popcorn as the chocolate will hold. Pack into chocolate lined molds or roll out between waxed paper and cut into shapes with cookie cutters or knives.

Makes about 50 pieces.

Poppycock

1 cup halved pecans
1 cup blanched almonds
8 cups popcorn
1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups white or brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 tsp cream of tartar or baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

In a shallow pan, bake at 300F toast pecans and almonds. Set side to cool.

In a very large bowl, combine pecans and almonds and popcorn. In a medium sized saucepan, mix sugar, butter, syrup. Cook to hard ball stage, 254F.

Remove from heat, stir in baking soda or cream of tartar, if used, then vanilla. Pour over popcorn mixture. Toss with a buttered fork. Press onto a greased cookie sheet.

Break in pieces when cooled and store in a plastic container in the freezer or refrigerator. It becomes sticky if kept at room temperature.

Makes 10 cups.

Praline Popcorn Crunch

10 cups popped corn
1 1/2 cups whole pecans
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1/4 cup Praline® Liqueur
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon Praline® Liqueur
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter baking sheet and large bowl. Toast pecans and almonds until light brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Mix popped corn and nuts in large bowl. Combine sugar, butter 1/4 cup Praline® Liqueur and corn syrup in heavy 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, to 275 degrees F, or until small amount dropped into very cold water reaches soft crack stage (separates into hard, but not brittle, threads).

Remove from heat. Quickly stir in 1 tablespoon Praline® Liqueur and salt. Pour over popped corn and nuts, mixing until evenly coated. Immediately spread mixture on baking sheet. Let stand about 1 hour.

Break into bite-size pieces.

Makes about 14 cups.

Red Sugar Popcorn

2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons water
Few drops red food coloring
3 quarts popped corn

Boil sugar, butter, water and coloring together to soft boil stage over low heat. Pour over popcorn; stir. Store in cool, dry place in airtight container.

Rum Raisin Popcorn

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons rum extract
12 cups popped corn
2 cups raisins

Lightly butter a cookie sheet.

In a heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup and butter . Place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often until sugar dissolves. Continue to boil gently, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 280 degrees F (syrup separates into hard, but not brittle, threads when dropped into very cold water).

Remove from heat and stir in rum extract. Pour over popcorn and raisins. Spread out evenly on the prepared cookie sheet. Cool and break into small pieces.

Makes about 14 cups.

Salty Dog Popcorn

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons powdered ground ginger
15 cups (5 ounces) already-popped popcorn
3 1/2 cups (6 ounces) chow mein noodles
2 cups short pretzels

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Place the butter in a 2-cup microwave-safe container and cover it with a paper towel. Microwave 2 minutes, on HIGH, or until melted.

Remove the butter from the microwave and stir in the soy sauce, garlic powder and ginger.

Place the popped corn, chow mein noodles and pretzels in a large UNSCENTED trash bag. Pour the butter mixture over the popcorn mixture, and shake well to coat the mixture with butter. Pour the popcorn mixture into a large 15 x 10-inch roasting pan, or use two smaller pans. Bake the mixture, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Store in airtight containers, gift tins or zip-type plastic bags at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Makes about twenty 1/2 cups.

Approximate values per 1/2 cup serving: 81 calories (63 percent from fat), 6 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 9 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 6.6 g carbohydrates, 0.7 g dietary fiber, 139 mg sodium

Spun Pink Cinnamon Popcorn

8 cups popped corn
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon red cinnamon candy

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place popped corn in large buttered bowl and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in small saucepan. Heat slowly to boiling point, stirring constantly. Cook without stirring to 285 degrees F (soft crack stage on candy thermometer).

Remove from heat at once and drizzle over popcorn, stirring to coat evenly. When well mixed, pour onto buttered cookie sheet and place in oven for about 10 minutes to crisp corn.

Separate kernels when cool enough to handle.

Sugar and Spice Popcorn

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/3 cup unpopped Popcorn

Generously grease cookie sheet. Use only a hand-turned popcorn popper for this recipe because all ingredients must be agitated constantly.

Combine all ingredients in popper, except popcorn. Stir well and heat until bubbling. Add popcorn; cover and shake constantly over medium heat until all corn is popped. Immediately pour onto greased cookie sheet to cool.

Makes about 2 quarts.

Sweet and Salty Popcorn with Orange Blossom Honey

6 cups popped white popcorn
1 cup salted roasted nuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup orange-blossom honey
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Place popcorn and nuts in a large ovenproof bowl and place in oven. Pour sugar into a small, heavy saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally. When sugar is melted and a light caramel color, add honey and stir until smooth and liquid. Remove from heat.

Take popcorn from oven, sprinkle it with salt and then pour sugar syrup over it. Using a potholder to steady bowl with one hand, stir quickly, using a large fork, to fluff and coat popcorn. Spread on baking sheet and let cool. Break into large pieces; store in an airtight tin.

Servings: 6

Sweet Peanuts 'n' Popcorn

1/3 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
8 cups popped corn

Combine margarine and sugar; stir in peanuts. Pour mixture over popcorn; stir to coat popcorn well. Turn mixture onto baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes, or until lightly crisp; stir once. Let stand on baking sheet, stirring once or twice as mixture cools.

When thoroughly cool, divide into 8 sandwich bags.

Tropical Popcorn

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup cream of coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn, popped
1 cup toasted coconut
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup dried pineapple pieces
1/2 cup dried banana chips

In a heavy saucepan put the butter, corn syrup, cream of coconut and brown sugar. Boil over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Pour over the popped corn, coconut, dates, dried pineapple and dried banana chips. Stir to mix. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

Velma's Caramel Corn

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup corn, popped
1 cup toasted chopped pecans

Put the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar and salt in a heavy saucepan. Melt over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the baking soda. Stir well. Pour over the popped corn and pecans. Stir well, put in a baking pan and bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour onto buttered cookie sheets to cool.