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Spiced Caramel Corn

Adapted from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson (Celestial Press)
Of course, when flipping through the book, trying to pick a recipe that I’d make for the site, my fingers came to a screeching halt on Spiced Caramel Corn. It probably wasn’t the ideal thing to make that day, since I just had dental work that morning. Nevertheless, I’ve been hoarding a jar of Orville Redenbacker’s (which are 100% whole grain, bien sûr…) and made a dash to the store for rice syrup, which is not something one finds everywhere in Paris (which may be the understatement of 2007). I was going to cheat and use honey, but didn’t want to risk failure, especially when my precious Orville was at stake.I knew exactly where to go: a terrific natural foods store, biocoop, conveniently located nearby. Aside from the excitement I alwasys feel when I get to do some shopping, which is especially acute when there’s food involved, I love that place since it’s the only place in Paris I know where they have those help-yourself bins full of nuts and seeds, as well as goofy stuff like organic tampons and seaweed tapenade.And confit de canard.Really, you gotta love a place where duck confit is considered a health food.
  • 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
  • 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure chili powder, (I used pimento d'Espelette, which I sniffed to make sure it was still fresh. It was. And made me sneeze the nuts out I was munching all over my book. So I hereby consider my copy christened.)
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup mixed toasted nuts and seeds , (I used cashews and almonds, sunflower and sesame seeds)
  • Pop the corn in a large, covered saucepan with the oil.
  • When the popcorn is done, remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and set aside.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • In another large pot, I recommend one that holds at least 8 qts, bring to a boil the syrups, spices and salt. Cook over medium heat, at a steady boil, avoiding the urge to stir. (Heidi recommends tilting the pot instead). After 5 minutes, when the syrup is reduced and deeply-fragrant (smells good, doesn’t it?…), stir in the nuts and seeds and popcorn. Mix gently until everything’s well-coated.
  • Only stop if you have a blog and need to take a picture.
  • Turn out onto the prepared baking sheet and let cool.

Notes

Note: If you didn’t cook the syrup long enough and as it cools the popcorn isn’t quite crisp, you can toast it in a 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. As it cools, it’ll crisp right up and can be broken into pieces.
*Heidi subscribes to the ‘Nancy Silverton School of Popping Corn’ that theorizes that 1 teaspoon of oil (although she uses clarified butter) is perfectly adequate for popping ½ cup of popcorn and I know a lot of people swear by that ratio. But I think it’s a chick-thing since mine always burns, so I add more oil that she recommends. I stick with my man Orville’s directions.