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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Ooey-Gooey Peanut-Butter/Honey or Nutella Popcorn

My daughter said she made this childhood treat recently and thought I should post it..."Mom, it's sooo good!"

When my children were small, I was always trying to think of healthy snacks.  They just loved this easy peanut-butter/honey popcorn I concocted.  I didn't really bother to make it into balls or anything; I just made one big bowl and had a lot of napkins handy.  Now, you could do that and maybe dish into individual bowls; or if you wanted it to be a little more neat (and attractive), you could serve as popcorn balls in individual paper cups, as per the directions I've given below.  You can make it with smooth or crunchy peanut butter...I prefer crunchy, although it seems some people, especially children,  prefer smooth.  I also experimented with combining Nutella and peanut butter, which my brother really liked! (My favorite is the peanut-butter/honey combination, but I like both...it's fun to have a little variety!)

                                     Ooey-Gooey Can Be Healthy!

                                
                                     And Fun For Kids of All Ages!

Makes approx. 14 popcorn balls

Ingredients
  • 12 cups air-popped* popcorn (approx. 3/8 c. unpopped popcorn)
  • 1/2 c. peanut butter (crunchy or smooth, even reduced fat works well!)
  • 1/2 c. honey (I love the whipped clover honey*!)
*Tips:  
  • I use a gadget especially made for air popping popcorn in the microwave.
  • Kroger has a very competitive price on their brand of whipped clover honey (fancy, pure white honey).   
  • You can use Nutella in lieu of the honey for a peanut-butter/chocolate popcorn, just add 1/4 cup of light corn syrup.

Directions**
  1. Mix the peanut butter and honey together and melt in the microwave for 15 seconds on 50% power. Thoroughly but gently combine the mixture well with the popcorn in a large bowl.
  2. For the popcorn balls, use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to measure the mixture for each ball and release onto a piece of cello-wrapping paper sprayed with a butter-flavored cooking spray.  Gather the wrapping paper around the popcorn mixture; squeeze and shape into a ball with your hands, then release into a paper cup.
  3. If you're feeling extra casual, just scoop servings into individual bowls.  
**Extra Tips:  Spray all utensils used under the directions with a butter-flavored cooking spray for easy release.  Be Sure to tell everyone to be careful of seeds!

So reward them with a special treat after a slash in the pool or as a snack after playing outside all afternoon...or just cuddle up with your loved one(s) and enjoy while watching that summer movie!  They'll all watch their "p's and q's" for this ooey-gooey treat!


What's That Got to do with this?                                      

                                    He's a two-fisted lemon eater!


Keeps My Grandson Happy When We Eat Out!



11 comments:

  1. Yum! Both versions sound so good! I need to get one of the microwave popcorn gadgets! I didn't know there was such a thing.

    How cute that your grandson likes lemons!

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  2. @Dulce Dough - Hi Jill! We've been using the microwave popcorn gadget so long I can't remember where we found it! Try on-line...you might even find a store that carries it. One popping in this gadget produces the 12 cups of popcorn you need for my recipe. It's not only healthy, it's economical to pop your own corn in this gadget and extremely easy! The 3/8 c. unpopped popcorn called for in the recipe pops in two minutes on high in my microwave (which is a high-power microwave).

    My husband used to add a couple of tablespoons of butter to one popping in the gadget. I tried to be good and leave the butter off; but he knew I liked his popcorn, so he would always sneak a little of his in my bowl! I pretended I didn't know!

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  3. My youngest used to eat lemons when he was little, too...funny little ones!

    Oh, how I love popcorn balls...I'm a little scared to make this, though, as I think I'd eat the whole batch before even shaping it!into balls. SO yummy~

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  4. @Lizzy - Oh, I didn't even make it into balls when my kids were small...I did love eating the warm peanut-butter/honey mixture straight from the microwave (that was my treat!).

    We first decided my grandson liked sour things when we gave him a pickle in a restaurant and he went at it! Never fed my children sour things like that, probably because we didn't eat them very often ourselves...decided he inherited this gene from the other side!

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  5. I loved popcorn as a little girl...and I still love it now! I think this recipe sounds perfect for children and adults alike! After a long day at work, it was refreshing to come and visit your blog. I hope you are having a good start to your week. Much love and many hugs from Austin! Thank you for sharing your creative concoctions with me.

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  6. @Monet - Hi! Popcorn has always been a staple in our house! Very often, it's my dinner with some other goodies mixed in such as nuts, dried fruit, a Chex mix, some kind of chocolate, including chocolate-covered peanuts, etc....whatever I have around. Thank you for your kind remarks!

    I found your comment just before I planned to visit your recipe for peach and blueberry pie...can't wait to see it!

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  7. Yum! Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks. I pop it in olive oil with a sprig of rosemary. Finish it with a drizzle of butter and parmesan cheese!

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  8. @DessertForTwo - I love savory popcorn...I'll have to try your rosemary and Parmesan cheese popcorn. Thanks!

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  9. I do like your recipe, Bonnie, and so pleased to see you use the microwave. I also like savory popcorn and will try the recipe from DessertForTwo. Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hi Betty, Yes, I eat popcorn often, so w/the microwave I can eliminate any oil and add it sparingly if I so desire. DessertForTwo's recipe is a good savory version.
      So glad you like my recipe and thanks for stopping by!

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  10. I love flavor twists on popcorn and I love peanut butter and nutella. These are dream munchies for me!

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