Peanut Butter Popcorn

Like many people, I keep pen and paper on my bedside table. Some people get their best ideas in the shower; I tend to get my scribble-worthy notes during the foggy moments between awake and asleep. Maybe a quick outline for a freelance article. Perhaps an idea for expanding the garden. Or, like last night, I scribble down something like this: 

"Peanut Butter Popcorn"

Yes, these are the things I think about. But doesn't that sound good? My two favorite things, together at last. A little sweet, a little salty, all peanut buttery. Add something vodka-y and I'll bliss out. 

Of course, with a concept this brilliant, others had already thought of peanut butter popcorn. A little Googling gave me what I needed to shape a base recipe. Some recipes seemed too sweet, others too peanut buttery. As usual, I found a middle ground and made my own. 

My simple recipe just uses honey as a sweetener. Living in North Dakota, by far the top honey producing capital of the country, I had plenty of gorgeous raw local honey in my pantry just waiting for its moment to shine. After all, popcorn + peanut butter + honey = trifecta.

Peanut Butter Popcorn

If enjoying this with the kids, grab the hand wipes and prepare for a slightly sticky popcorn experience. But it's worth it.

1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped, with any unpopped kernels removed

1 cup dry roasted peanuts (optional)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup peanut butter

Sea salt

Grab a rimmed cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper or a Silpat mat; spread popped popcorn and optional peanuts on the lined cookie sheet and set aside. 

In a small saucepan, melt the honey over medium heat until liquid and clear, no sugary bits remaining. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter until melted and mixed in well. Carefully drizzle peanut butter honey mixture over the popcorn, tossing and mixing the popcorn as you go to ensure most of the kernels get coated (careful, the peanut butter mixture is still hot). Toss to mix well, sprinkle with sea salt to taste, and let it set 5-10 minutes before serving.