A Red Hot Twist on Popcorn

Red Hot Popcorn is a twist on a classic snack. It’s a sweet popcorn, but with a little cinnamon kick. And really hard to stop eating once you get started. I took my sister’s caramel popcorn recipe, and replaced the brown sugar with Red Hots for a unique taste.

My Mom got us a new red Whirley-Pop popcorn maker for Christmas. If you have never heard of it, definitely check it out. It makes the best stovetop popcorn and it perfect for making Red Hot Popcorn.

Red Hot Popcorn

• 7 Quarts of popped Corn
• 1 Cup Butter
• 1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup
• 2 Boxes (11 ounces) of Red Hots
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. In a saucepan, heat the butter, Red Hots, and corn syrup. Stir continuously. When the mixture comes to a full boil, cook for another 5 minutes or until all the candy pieces have melted completely. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Pour the Red Hot mixture quickly over the popcorn in a greased roasting pan. Stir the mixture until all the popcorn is evenly coated. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool on wax paper for about 30 minutes. Eat and enjoy or store in an airtight container.

Ingredients

These are basic ingredients that you may already have on hand. Popcorn, corn syrup, butter and baking soda. The Red Hots can be hard to locate. My husband found these for me at Wal-Mart. Good luck!

Directions

First pop your popcorn, about 7 quarts worth or 3/4 cup of unpopped kernels. I do not recommend using microwave popcorn. Either use stovetop popcorn or air popped.

Set the popcorn aside in a well greased roasting pan.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees while you ready the Red Hot mixture.

Next in a large saucepan combine the following ingredients: butter, corn syrup and Red Hots. Continuously stir the mixture until boiling and all the candy pieces have melted down.

Make sure it is nice and smooth. Take it off the burner and add the baking soda, stirring it in well.

Then very quickly, because it sets up fast, pour it over the popped corn that should already be in the greased roasting pan.

Stir it well to coat the popcorn evenly with the Red Hot mixture.

Bake the popcorn mixture for one hour, making sure to stir it every fifteen minutes.

After an hour of baking and stirring take it out of the oven to cool on wax paper for about thirty minutes.

Eat right away, I did, or store in an airtight container.

Snacktime

Red Hot Popcorn makes the perfect camping snack to eat around the campfire. Just be sure to make it before you go camping. It would also be fantastic with a movie on Valentine’s Day! Happy Snacking!