A couple of days ago, I went into the kitchen at work to refill my water bottle, and discovered a big bag of caramel popcorn. It was open and sitting on the communal eats table, so I grabbed a paper cup and took a bit back to my desk to munch on. It was delicious and awakened my appetite for sweet, crunchy popcorn.
Last night, as I sat with my boyfriend watching election returns, the need for more popcorn became to demanding to ignore. Skipping to the kitchen, I pulled my Whirley Pop off its place on a high shelf and began a batch of honey butter popcorn. It's one of those simple non-recipe recipes that my mom used to make when called upon to bring snacks to school when my sister and I were young (she'd pack it into lunch bags for easy distribution).
Simply pop a batch of corn (I popped about 2/3 a cup of kernels). While it cools in a big bowl, melt half a stick of butter down with 2-3 spoonfuls of honey (it depends on your sweet tooth). Add a generous amount of salt and a splash of vanilla (optional, but it adds a great aroma). Let the honey butter mixture come to a foaming boil, stirring constantly. Once it has reached the boiling point, remove the pot from the heat and drizzle it over the popcorn, tossing the corn with a long-handled spoon as you pour.
