Cinnamon Crunch Popcorn


Growing up, we had a Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper. By what seemed like magic, the popcorn popper would turn oil and corn kernels into an overflowing bowl of perfectly popped popcorn. The magic stirring wand on the base of the popper constantly moved the kernels insuring all the corn popped without burning. Adding a pat or two of butter to the special butter well on top of the popper allowed it to melt over the corn as it popped. The icing on the cake was that the plastic dome doubled as a bowl meaning less clean up after gorging on handful after handful of buttery popcorn.

When I had kids of my own, I first made microwave popcorn for them. Quick, convenient, and no mess to clean up, it was an ideal snack for a mom with 3 kids under 4 years old. As my kids got older, we experimented with making popcorn in a pot on the stove top. We liked the big, fluffy pieces of popcorn this method produced, and the popcorn did not have that processed taste like the microwave version. With lots of shaking of the heavy pot and steam sneaking out from under the lid, making popcorn was sometimes a dangerous cooking adventure for my kids and I.

When my daughter asked for a popcorn popper for Christmas a couple years ago, I headed to the Internet to do some research. There were fancy poppers which are miniature versions of the poppers used at carnivals and the circus. Fun but impractical. Where would I store that thing? There were poppers by major appliance makers each touting some special feature. But these poppers tended to be on the expensive side. I only wanted to buy a popcorn popper. Not a popper, chopper, dicer, mixer, and blender all in one.

Then I remembered the Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper of my youth and all the fun my best friend Susie and I had making bowls upon bowls of perfectly popped and buttered popcorn at our weekly sleepovers. I had found the popper for my daughter!

After over 2 years of near constant use, my daughter's Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper pops a beautiful bowl of popcorn every time. We usually are just butter and salt popcorn eaters. I decided it ws time to change it up and did a little experimenting to come up with with different flavored popcorns.

Cinnamon Crunch Popcorn was invented to satisfy my salty and sweet cravings. The corn is popped in a mixture of oil and sugar so each piece of popped corn in covered with a slightly crunchy sugary coating. The hot, just popped kernels are then tossed with a cinnamon, sugar and salt mixture for added flavor.

Make a double batch. Cinnamon Crunch Popcorn will disappear quicker than it took you to make it.



Cinnamon Crunch Popcorn
makes about 6 cups

2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup popcorn
1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoons sugar

In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the salt. Set aside.

Put oil, popcorn and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar into the popper If using a Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper, it will do all the work for you. After the popcorn stops popping, flip over the dome and add the cinnamon mixture. Using a large spoon, toss to coat the popcorn evenly with the mixture. Serve immediately or spread on a large baking sheet to cool and package in an airtight container.

If using a pot with a lid, place it on the stove top over high heat. Add the oil, popcorn and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar to the pot and place the lid on top. Start shaking the pot as soon as the corn starts to pop. Continue shaking until the popping almost stops. Remove quickly from heat, open lid and pour in cinnamon mixture over hot popcorn. Toss the popcorn and the mixture with a large spoon making sure all the popcorn is coated. Serve immediately or spread on a large baking sheet to cool and package in an airtight container.

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10 comments:

kat said...

I remember those poppers, they made the lightest fluffy popcorn! I'm a big fan of sweet & salty popcorn & this sounds great. I'd like to get some like I had in Hawaii with plum seasoning

MaryBeth said...

Oh wow does this sound great...we love popcorn and I bet it would be wonderful to mix this in along side some butter popcorn too.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

A double batch it is!!!!

Robin said...

My roomie and I had one of those popcorn poppers in our dorm room to make popcorn every night. We even put the butter on top so it would melt down over the popcorn. Had no idea that they still made them! We love our whirley pop maker. I think this popcorn would be great in my house!

Natasha said...

I just got one of these and was looking for a recipe for them.....I just made it and I can't stop eating it! I made it with coconut oil just like the fair people do and it is soooo healthy for you that way minus the sugar but a little doesn't hurt. SO GOOD! Thanks! I will be eating this for my dinner.

amycaseycooks said...

Natasha - the coconut oil sounds good. I just started cooking with it and like its high burning point.

Hope you enjoyed your dinner! :)

Joie de vivre said...

Cute! I know homemade is so much better, I just hate cleaning the pot afterwards! Is your popper easy to clean?

amycaseycooks said...

joie de vivre - cleaning the pot was a pet peeve of mine. it was always still waiting to be washed the morning after the a popcorn feast.

the stir crazy is non stick and can be wiped out with a paper towel!!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

Can we say, mmmmmm?! It's kinda like kettle corn. I LOVE kettle corn!
~ingrid

Jamie said...

This makes 6 cups? I'll assume that that serves one person cause I'd eat it all myself and more. Sounds amazingly delicious and looks perfect! Love the cinnamon-sugar coating. Wow!