Monday, October 8, 2012

Brown Butter Speculoos Mini Popcorn Balls


Welcome to Hallo-Treat Week!



When September rolls around my baking gene kicks in.  I mean FOR REAL.  It's like a sickness.  But while we could handle having these bad boys around the house, I don't risk the temptation and I'm going to make some of these for the little goblins that show up this year.  (If they don't show up, the Mr's co-workers get them...as usual)

This week is going to be full of yummy recipes that are 100 calories or less so that you can enjoy one or two with some careful planning before sending them to work, school or wrapping them up for some homemade trick or treat fun!

Let's get to the first recipe!

I have always wanted to make popcorn balls.  I've known how to make them but it just seemed like a bigger pain in the butt than I had the patience for.  (I know, great excuse right?)  But if I was going to commit to them, I wanted to make them with my own stamp on them.  Then I wondered how cookie butter would taste in there?  Or what about brown butter?  Or what about both?  That motivated me!



Brown Butter Speculoos Mini Popcorn Balls
(Makes 35)

1/2 cup TJ's Organic Popcorn kernels
6 tbsp butter
1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallows
1/2 Speculoos Cookie Butter (or Biscoff Spread)

Hi guys!



In brown paper lunch bags, divide the kernels by four and pop in 4 batches until all kernels are popped.  (Makes about 4 quarts)  Just use regular ol' brown lunch bags, fold it over twice and lay it fold side down in the microwave.  Microwave until the pops are about 2-3 seconds apart, remove the popped kernels and return the rest to the microwave until all kernels are popped.  No oil necessary!



Put popped corn in a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray.



In a medium saucepan, melt butter on low heat.  THIS IS WHERE YOU DECIDE THE FLAVOR!



If you want the cookie butter/biscoff to be the predominate flavor, wait until butter is just melted then add the 1/2 cup of cookie butter/Biscoff.  If you want a more subtle, buttery, nutty flavor to shine through, brown the butter as listed below.

When butter is melted, turn up heat slightly.  Keep swirling the butter until it starts to foam up.  When you see the bottom start to have a slight tan build up, whisk it and just as it turns light brown, pull it off the heat.  Add the cookie butter/Biscoff and stir until melted.




Add the marshmallows and stir until combined.


Now it's about the time when it starts to thicken up and look like this that you'll freak out a bit wondering how the heck you're going to be able to coat the popcorn because it looks like a blob*.  You'll debate throwing it in the trash or to spackle roof tiles you meant to get to all summer.  Don't!  Trust me, it'll be thick-ish when it comes together.


Pour the goo on to the popcorn.  Quickly put on some food handling gloves (that's what I did and it worked great!) or spray your hands with cooking spray.  Toss, pull apart and roll around until it's all coated.  This will take a few minutes but if you keep at it and are careful not to crush the kernels as you toss, you will be rewarded.

Using an ice cream scooper as your guide for the first few, measure it out piled just above the top then form into a ball.



Don't smoosh it, just make sure they stick together.  Pull out any unpopped kernels that may have made their way in.  No one wants to chip a tooth!

Lay the formed balls out on wax paper, cover and let them harden for about an hour.



Cover in wax paper while waiting for them to cool.



Wrap in plastic, treat bags or put in cupcake liners if presenting on a platter.


Enjoy!

Nutritional Information per ball:  Calories 72  Total Fat 4g  Sat Fat 2g  Mono Fat 1g  Cholesterol 5mg  Sodium 20mg  Total Carbs 10g  Sugars 5g  Protein 1g  Vitamin A  1%  Iron 1%

*-I'll tell you what the blob reminds me of.  Remember the episode of Three's Company (Days of Beer and Weeds) when Mrs. Roper took flower arranging classes and they found out some of the filler flowers she used in her arrangement for the contest had cannabis in it?  Then Mr. Roper took that big blob of crap off the stool and threw it over her arrangement.  That's about the consistency of the mixture before putting it on top of the popcorn.


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9 comments:

  1. oooh...I love it..i will try this sometime...to go find marshmallows:)...

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  2. These sound wonderful, I pinned the recipe and hope to try it soon. I used to make popcorn similar to this. I would melt butter and then add the mini marshmallows and just pour it over a big pan of popcorn and not bother making balls out of it. Then I would proceed to eat the entire pan of popcorn--thus 328 lbs. of me! Don't know that I could stop at 1 or 2 of these though. Perhaps I could talk hubby into taking them to work, like your Mr. does??!!

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  3. This looks like the perfect after school project for this week. I can have 4 sets of little hands helping and they can munch on their efforts. Think I'll give them spoons to scoop so there are no accidental burns. But having all those fingers involved will keep me from wanting more than my share :). I get the first demonstration scoop :). The kidlets are on short days all week and I'll need them involved in something to save my sanity. Thanks!! I even know that a quick trip to Wally World (aka Wal-mart) will result in all the ingredients, even the Bischoff spread :). Yay!! :)

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  4. High fives for the Three's Company reference! These look freaking amazing--such a good idea! I wonder if marshmallow fluff would work instead? I can't eat marshmallows...

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  5. I'm on a popcorn kick lately. These would be a fun sweet treat.

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  6. Love the recipe--I will have to try making them! That's how I pop popcorn all the time these days (as in almost daily), great trick for enjoying a treat without the extra calories and fat . . . light spray with butter flavor cooking spray and salt sticks just fine. Yum!

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  7. Well don't those just look absolutely delicious!! Send some my way please! ;)

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  8. Well don't those just look absolutely delicious! Send some my way please! :)

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  9. OMGGGGGG! I want these so bad! Will you ship them to your poor misfortuned blogging pal? Did you read I had a car accident and then an emergency appendectomy within four days?! LOL! Can you feel worse for me?!?! I gotta milk it somewhere!

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