Valentine’s Day Candied Popcorn

by Stephanie Glover on January 31st, 2018 | No Comments »

My children have been on a sweet kick lately. Always asking for dessert after every meal {yes, even breakfast}. Always looking for a sweet treat. We have gone through the old regulars: cookies, cupcakes, brownies. like to mix it up a bit and tried to come up with some new ideas. A few years ago, I made Green Candied Popcorn for St. Patrick's Day and the kids loved it.

This was it! This was the sweet treat I needed. I whipped up a batch and instead of making it green this time I decided to do red. Really, the possibilities are endless!

That's when it hit me! This is perfect for Valentine's Day. Being Room Mom for my oldest's classroom, I know planning a Valentine's Day classroom party will be right around the corner. Valentine's Day Candied Popcorn would be the perfect treat! It's relatively easy {if you can make Krispie Treats, you can handle candied popcorn}. It also makes a large batch! I also threw in some M&M's and Candy Hearts to make it a little more festive.

Valentines day candied popcorn recipe

Valentine's Day Candied Popcorn

Ingredients

2 bags of natural popped corn {skip the Butter Lovers popcorn!}
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
red food coloring

Instructions

In heavy saucepan on medium heat melt butter then add sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt. Increase temperature to medium high and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar.
Once mixture boils, add in food coloring and stop stirring. Boil for 5 minutes (Do not stir). Mixture should be about 250-260 degrees.
Remove from heat and carefully stir in vanilla and baking soda.
Working quickly and while mixture is foamy, pour mixture over popped corn and gently stir to coat popcorn.
Place popcorn into a large roaster or rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray) and bake at 200° F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

What is your favorite sweet treat on Valentine's Day?

Stephanie is the mastermind and writer beyond the blog, A Grande Life. She's an inspired photographer, social media specialist, and brand ambassador. When she doesn't have a camera in her hands, you'll find her with a cup of coffee. She lives life with her two boys and husband in the Philly burbs taking it one latte at time. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.