Rapadura Caramel Popcorn
Upgraded Easy Rapadura Caramel Popcorn
By Erin Otto
I never would have attempted to make this recipe. Not because it’s difficult – because it is really quite easy. But because the recipe my daughter “adapted” it from called for two ingredients I never use, and I would never have expected caramel to turn out without them. But it did.
The two ingredients I don’t ever use: corn syrup and white sugar. And instead, my daughter substituted rapadura sugar and honey. To my complete surprise, not only did the caramel turn out, but this is the absolute best caramel popcorn we’ve ever had.
I love that’s made with ingredients you usually have on hand, and it’s rather impressive too. The work is all done in a matter of 5 or 10 minutes, and then all you have to do is wait for it to bake.
Ingredients
8 cups popped popcorn
3/4 cup rapadura, sucanat, or sugar
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Butter 2 9×13 baking pans and preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Place the popcorn in a large mixing bowl.
In a heavy saucepan mix the butter, honey and rapadura. Cook and stir over medium heat until it boils. Then turn the heat down a little and continue boiling, without stirring, for 5 more minutes.
Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla, and pour the whole mixture over the popcorn, stirring to coat.
Pour the popcorn into the prepared 9×13 pans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan onto buttered foil to cool. Makes 8 cups.
Lemon Curd
This is a healthy version of a recipe we adapted from Ina Garten. We use honey instead of the sugar to make it healthier, and to make it thick enough, we add 4 teaspoons of arrowroot powder to the sauce before it begins to thicken.
Recipe:
3-4 lemons (depending on the size)
3/4 cup sugar (we use honey or agave nectar)
1 stick butter
4 large eggs
1/2 – 3/4 cup lemon juice from the lemons
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons arrowroot powder (optional – use only if you are using honey or agave nectar instead of sugar)
Directions
Grate the lemon peel off of the lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Set the lemons aside and put the peel in a small bowl. Add the sugar or honey and mix together.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time and mixing well in between each one, the lemons and the salt. Mix until combined.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over the lowest heat setting on your stove, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, or until mixture is almost hot. If you are using the honey or agave nectar, whisk in the arrowroot powder at this point. Continue stirring every 30 seconds for about 8 more minutes, or until the mixture starts to thicken (it should thicken at about 170 degrees F.).
As soon as the mixture has thickened, remove it from the heat. Chill.
Pear Crisp
Pear Crisp
Ingredients
- 6 cups Anjou or Bartlett pears, cored and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 3 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup rapadura (or your choice of sugar)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rapadura (or packed brown sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/3 cup regular oats
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine pears and lemon juice in a 2-quart baking dish; toss gently to coat. Combine rapadura, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; stir with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pear mixture; toss well to coat.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, rapadura, and salt in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until combined. Add chilled butter; pulse 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add oats and walnuts; pulse 2 times. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over pear mixture.
Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until pears are tender and topping is golden brown. Cool 20 minutes on a wire rack; serve warm or at room temperature.
Double Dare Peaches
This recipe is from Laura Murray, who found it on allrecipes.com, one of my favorite recipe sites. If anyone makes it and has a photo to share, send it to me, and I’ll post it up!
My husband loves this!
Take a bite and enjoy the sweet from the peaches, feel the heat sneak up on you, then put out the fire with ice cream!
1/4 cup butter 2 habanero peppers, seeded and halved
8 fresh peaches, peeled, 1/4 cup brown sugar
Pitted and sliced 1 teasp. Ground cinnamon
1/2 gal. Vanilla ice cream 1/4 cup crushed peanut brittle
Melt the butter in a large skillet over med. Heat. Add the habenero peppers and cook 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove and discard the peppers (or chop and add to whatever salsa you have) Now stir the peaches into the flavored butter. Increase the heat to med. High. Cook and stir til peaches begin to sizzle in the butter, then stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Continue stirring until the peaches are tender and the sugar has turned into a golden brown glaze.(3-5min. More)
Spoon peaches into individual bowls, scoop ice cream over them, and sprinkle with peanut brittle to serve.
Lazy Peach Pie (Peach Cobbler)
Melt 1 stick margarine in a 13×9 or 8×8 glass casserole
Mix: 1 c. sugar
1 c. self-rising flour
1 c. milk
Pour into casserole. Add one qt. canned peaches with about 1/2 the juice.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve hot as is or with a scoop of ice cream. YUM YUM!!!!
Concord Grape Sorbet
Concord grapes from BulkNaturalFoods.com
A beautiful purple sorbet, and what better way to use all the delicious grapes you got from Bulk Natural Foods! I’ve adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart Living, and it is wonderful! Try it!
Ingredients
2/3 cup agave
1 1/2 pounds Concord grapes (1 quart container)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Prepare an ice bath; set aside.
Combine grapes and the remaining water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the grapes start releasing liquid, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat, and simmer until juices are dark purple and grapes begin to break apart, about 3 minutes.
Pass mixture through a food mill and then through a fine sieve into a large bowl set in the ice bath; stir frequently until completely cool. Stir in the agave and lemon juice.
Transfer mixture to an ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Store the sorbet in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to serve, up to 2 weeks.