Honey, Lemon & Sea Salt Caramel Corn

I’ve been going through a snacking phase.  Do you know those times?

I do not want to eat full meals, like a sensible person, I just want to raid the refrigerator and pantry for whatever can be eaten by the handful.  For no good reason, marshmallows and popcorn sometimes sound far better than making a real dinner.

Popcorn is one of my dearest friends.  Salty or sweet, chocolatey or spicy, I love popcorn.  The kind of popcorn you make with oil and popping corn on a stovetop, not with a fake-butter laden bag and a microwave. 

Did you know that you can make caramel out of honey?  You can.  No corn syrup, no refined sugars, just honey and butter. 

The final product is rich, sweet, and slightly floral.  I used a very floral honey for this recipe, to play off of the lemon. A good orange blossom honey would be an excellent choice. 

This popcorn has a lot going on, it’s sweet, salty, and brightened by fresh lemon zest.  The combination is surprising and addicting.

The lemon is more of an after note, one that keeps you coming back for more. 

Snack dinners aren’t going out of style anytime soon.  

Happy Wednesday!  

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie

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Honey, Lemon & Sea Salt Popcorn

serves 4-6

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3/4 cup popping corn 
• 1 cup honey 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter 
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 

Place a large pot over medium high heat and add coconut oil.  When the oil begins to shimmer, add popping corn and cover.  When the corn begins to pop, shake the pot gently, to prevent the kernels from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

When the popcorn has stopped popping, remove from heat.  Transfer the popped corn to a deep-sided, 15x10 baking dish.  Place the popcorn in the oven while you prepare the caramel sauce.  This will help the corn to stay crisp. 

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, honey, and lemon zest.  Place over medium heat and stir until all the butter has melted and the mixture begins to boil.  Boil for 5-7 minutes, until the caramel has deepened slightly in color.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and baking soda.  

Pour the caramel over the popcorn immediately and stir to cover all the popcorn evenly.

Return the popcorn to the oven and bake for 35 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes.  Remove the popcorn from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt.  Toss to coat. 

Allow the popcorn to cool before serving or storing in airtight containers.  Enjoy!

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