Ran out of snacks in the house so instead of doing the right thing and not eat any snacks I just made some. This recipe ended up turning out a little weird but in a good way. The caramel didn’t fully harden which gave the mix a bit softer and marshmallowy taste. Kind of like a toffee popcorn rice crispy treat. It tastes good that’s all I care about. Yup that’s about it for this one, here’s the recipe.

• 3/4 C Popcorn Kernels
• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Butter (Unsalted)
• 1/4 C Light Corn Syrup
• 3/4 C Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Rum
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 Pinch Finishing Salt
• 3/4 C Dark Chocolate (Melting Chips)

In a large pot heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil on medium heat and add your popcorn kernels. Make sure you have a lid or something to cover handy otherwise you’ll be eating a lot of floor corn. Continue to stir making sure the kernels don’t burn. When the corn does its thing and is all done poppin remove from heat and place in a bowl off to the side.

In a medium sized heavy bottom pot combine the butter, sugar, rum, and corn syrup. Heat the mix on medium and gently stir until dissolved. Bring to a simmer and add in the vanilla and baking soda. The baking soda will cause a chemical reaction that causes to mixture to almost double so keep that in mind when selecting your pot size. Let the mix simmer for around 5 minutes then remove from heat.

Pour the butter rum mix over the popcorn and carefully toss with a spatula until everything is evenly coated. Spread the popcorn mix onto a sheet tray with parchment. In a small microwave container heat your chocolate melty discs for one minute, continue to heat in increments of 30 seconds until the chocolate starts to look like its melting. With a rubber spatula stir the chocolate until it is smooth and glossy. Thinly drizzle over the popcorn and finish with finishing salt. Hence the name. Of the salt.

Finally, grab yourself a bowl, pour yourself a nice drink and pretend you are sitting at a bar surrounded by good company. It’s been a tough couple months for everyone and who knows when things will finally turn around. But I do know that once this is all over I will greatly look forward to seeing friends and family again and sharing a drink at the bar. Until then, cheers everyone.