Cook's Country Flavored Popcorn

So, I've taken some time off blogging, and now I'm randomly coming back with a popcorn recipe.. Yep, that is my life. I have hardly logged on to the computer at home over the past month, so that is my excuse. I even had a whole week to myself last week, where Carter was with Graham and his family in Portland.. and I still didn't even blog. I was feeling pretty lazy, I guess.

Anyways, I receive the Cook's Country magazines at home, because they have the recipes produced by America's Test Kitchen that I'd be most likely to use. In October, I received the issue that had the recipes and techniques for perfect stove-top popcorn. I stopped making microwaved popcorn a while ago, because I kept thinking about the chemicals in the bags. The old method I was using was kind of annoying, where I had to shake a large Dutch Oven over a burner until the popcorn was popped. This didn't guarantee that all of the kernels were popped, and some of them did burn at the bottom of the pan. So, I'd been looking for a better method to cook fresh popcorn with better results. This recipe performed amazingly, and the taste of the cinnamon one was enough to make us fight for popcorn out of the bowl. I just had to post the recipe because I'd feel ungrateful if I didn't.

Buttered Popcorn 

(Otherwise known as perfect stovetop popcorn)

Makes 14 cups

3 TB vegetable oil

½ cup popcorn kernels

2 TB unsalted butter, melted

½ tsp salt

1.       Heat oil and 3 kernels in large saucepan over medium-high heat until kernels pop. Remove pan from heat, add remaining kernels, cover, and let sit for 30 seconds.

2.      Return pan to medium-high heat. Continue to cook with lid slightly ajar until popping slows to about 2 seconds between pops. Transfer popcorn to large bowl. Add melted butter and toss to coat popcorn. Add salt and toss to combine. Serve.

Buttermilk Ranch Popcorn

Add 1 TB buttermilk powder, 1 TB chopped fresh cilantro, 2 tsp dried dill,1/4 tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp onion powder to salt.

Cinnamon-Malt Popcorn

Add 2 TB malted milk powder, 2 TB packed brown sugar, and 1 tsp ground cinnamon to salt.

Parmesan-Pepper Popcorn

Add ½ cup grated Parmesan and 2 tsp pepper to salt.

So far, our favorite was the cinnamon popcorn. Don't worry if you don't have the malted milk powder. We still ate it like candy.

Here's the pictures:

 Here are the 3 kernels starting out in the oil.

Here's the perfectly cooked popcorn.

Evidence that no kernels were left unpopped or burned.

                                                 

 The buttermilk ranch popcorn pre-chowdown. I used buttermilk powder and a dried ranch seasoning mix I made myself.