Flavored Popcorn: Three Ways

Since the Academy Awards are tomorrow I thought it would be an appropriate time to come up with some fun flavored popcorn recipes! These would make a great little snack for a viewing party if you're planning to watch with friends. And if you want to get a little fancy, I've included an easy tutorial to make little popcorn bags to serve it in!

Each of these flavors are pretty simple and easy to make. I went three different directions: One sweet, one salty, and one with a little spice. Each of the recipes for these toppings are enough to flavor about a third cup of popcorn (makes a medium sized bowl). I made the popcorn first by heating up a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil on medium heat (using coconut oil gives the popcorn a slight flavor and makes the house smell amazing). I put in one kernel first and waited until it popped so I knew when the oil was ready. Pour in your kernels, cover the pot, and shake it around over the heat until it stops popping.

Honey Butter Popcorn: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of honey in the microwave, and stir. Pour the honey butter mixture over the popcorn as you stir it. Season with some salt and you're done!

Asian Inspired Popcorn: Start by covering your popcorn with a thin layer of melted butter (about a tablespoon).  Now, put a bit of soy sauce in a spray bottle (weird, I know, but it's the best way to do this without making the popcorn soggy), and spray the popcorn with a thin layer of soy sauce. Sprinkle on a teaspoon of wasabi powder, a couple sheets of crumbled nori (we used teriyaki flavored), and salt. If you don't have a little spray bottle on hand you could forgo the soy sauce, add a little more melted butter so everything sticks and finish with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.

Curried Popcorn: Cover your popcorn in 2-3 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle on 1-2 teaspoons of curry powder and sprinkle with nutritional yeast and salt to taste. That's it!

Aaaand here's how to make those cute little popcorn bags. I used pages out of a magazine because they are the right thickness for these bags, but you could also use regular paper. Start with a full sheet of paper and fold one side about 2/3 of the way, then fold it back on itself, and then back over again (like when you're making a fan...take a look at the pictures below and it will all make sense!). Do the same to the other side. Use tape or glue to attach the two sides. Now, choose which end will be your bottom and double fold and tape/glue it down. Cut off any excess paper at the top and cut a zig zag shape along the top of the bag. Now fill it up with yummy popcorn!

Will you be watching the Academy Awards tomorrow? I think our plan is to watch the show with a few friends during our weekly family dinner. I've always loved watching them so I can't wait! What's your favorite part of the Academy Awards? The dresses? Betting on who will win?

P. S.Thanks to my roommate Sydney for reteaching me how to properly pop popcorn and helping me come up with the flavors! :)