Peanut Butter Popcorn

Pretend instead of eggs and smoothies we are eating Peanut Butter Popcorn

When I go back to my parent's house to visit, it feels like home. However, in many ways it is not at all like the home I grew up in. It's transitioned from a home of raising kids to one of raising grandkids. For example, there is a pantry and fridge full of snacks and other quick food. Growing up there was none of that. So now that I am again living in a home of raising kids I struggle to find the snack food that I crave sometimes (that is a compliment to Rachel, by the way. So the other day I had to stretch my creative thinking skills and and use what I had to make a satisfying snack. Since then it has become a family favorite and one that we make for others or when we have friends over. It's called Peanut Butter Popcorn and the recipe is included here (The only difference is I used brown sugar instead of plain sugar):

Peanut Butter Popcorn
makes about 8 cups

1/4 cup popcorn kernels
Vegetable oil
Fine salt
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (should be free of added sugar)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Have a clean paper shopping bag or oversized mixing bowl ready.

Heat a 4-quart heavy pan over medium heat and film the bottom with vegetable oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the popcorn, shake to distribute, then put a lid on the pan, leaving a small crack for steam to escape. When the first kernel pops, put the lid on all the way. As the popcorn starts popping, shake vigorously to make sure the kernels are distributed evenly. When the popping slows to a few seconds between pops, take the pan off the heat.

Pour the popcorn into the paper bag or bowl to cool, and attempt to leave any unpopped kernels behind in the pan. (Coated with peanut butter caramel, the unpopped kernels are a serious tooth hazard). Lightly salt the popcorn to taste.

Mix the honey and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the peanut butter. Stir vigorously until all the peanut butter is melted, then mix in the vanilla.

Immediately pour the peanut butter caramel over the popcorn and stir with a long-handled wooden spoon until it's all coated. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:
• This recipe will also cover one standard bag of microwave popcorn, so you can substitute that for the stovetop popcorn if you wish.
• This keeps well overnight. If you want the gooeyness of freshly made popcorn, though, warm a bowl of leftover popcorn in 15-second bursts in the microwave until slightly warm and soft.
• As noted in the comments, some people prefer adding something spicy, like Sriracha, in lieu of the vanilla