October is National Popcorn Poppin’ Month

VALLEY — For more than 30 years, October has been celebrated as National Popcorn Poppin’ Month; however, it became “official” in 1999, when then Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman proclaimed October as National Popcorn Poppin’ Month.

Discovered in the Americas thousands of years ago, popcorn has captivated people for centuries with its mythical, magical charm.  Yet through the ages, popcorn has remained relatively unchanged. Popcorn adds fiber to the diet, is naturally low in fat and calories, gluten-free, and non-GMO, which makes it a great fit for today’s health conscious consumer.

Enjoy popcorn month with these recipes:

White Chocolate & Pumpkin Pie Spice Popcorn Bites

Ingredients

12 cups unsalted, unbuttered popped popcorn

3 cups chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips

1 tbsp light olive oil

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup toffee bits

1 tsp flaked sea salt, crushed

Directions

1.  Line large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place popcorn in large mixing bowl.

2.  In microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate, olive oil and pumpkin pie spice; microwave on Medium for 2 to 3 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring after each minute.

3.  Pour melted chocolate mixture over popcorn; add toffee bits and toss to combine. Immediately transfer to prepared baking sheet, spreading to edges of pan; sprinkle sea salt over top.

4.  Let cool; refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or until set. Break into chunks for serving.

Tip: Homemade pumpkin pie spice can be made by combining 3 parts ground cinnamon with 1 part each ground nutmeg and ginger, and a dash of allspice and ground cloves.

Cheesy Popcorn Bread

Yield: 9 squares

Ingredients

4 cups popped popcorn

1 cup yellow corn meal

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup 2% milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup shredded jack or pepper jack cheese

1 (4 ounce) can mild, diced green chilies, drained, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 400º F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Process the popcorn in a blender or food processor until finely ground.

Pour ground popcorn into a large bowl and stir in corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt until blended.

Beat egg, milk and vegetable oil together in a small bowl and stir into popcorn mixture just until blended.

Scatter cheese and chilies, if desired, over batter and stir just until evenly distributed.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned at edges and tester comes out clean.

Cut into squares to serve.

Apricot Cherry Popcorn Squares

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

10 cups air-popped popcorn

3/4 cup dried cherries

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. water

1/2 cup sugar-free apricot preserves

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Combine popcorn and cherries in large bowl.

Combine sugar, water, preserves, corn syrup, and lemon juice in a small saucepan; bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.

Cook until mixture forms thick, “ropy” threads that drip from the spoon.

Pour slowly over popped popcorn and mix thoroughly.

Spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Press mixture into baking dish and cool completely before serving.

Big League Snack Attack

Yield: 8 cups

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

6 cups unsalted popped popcorn

1 cup thin pretzel sticks

1/2 cup salted, roasted peanuts

Directions

Toss together the popcorn, pretzel sticks and peanuts in a large bowl. Melt the butter and stir in the seasonings.

Drizzle butter/seasoning mixture over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat well.

Spread the mixture in a large, shallow baking pan and put it in a preheated 250-degree oven to bake for 45 minutes.

Stir with a wooden spoon every 10 minutes while it’s baking.

Brown Sugar Lolli-Pops

Ingredients

6 cups air-popped popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon light margarine

Butter flavored cooking spray

3 tablespoon cinnamon-sugar mixture (2 tablespoon sugar to 1 tablespoon cinnamon)

Mini pretzel sticks

Directions

Combine sugar, honey, and water in a 2-quart saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.

Cook until sugar forms thick, “ropy” threads that drip from the spoon.

Add butter and stir to mix. Slowly pour mixture over popcorn, tossing to mix.

When popcorn has cooled slightly, spray hands with cooking spray and shape into small balls.

Insert pretzel stick to create a lollipop.

Roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture and wrap in plastic wrap or store in zipper-style bags.