Recipe: Maple Buttered Popcorn

Between our day jobs, the Holidays, Chrismahkkah prep, and weekend travels, we haven't had a ton of time or energy to devote to cooking ourselves elaborate - or even not so elaborate - meals. This past week, if we managed to be together for dinner at all, we got by on frozen leftovers or ordered in. And when all our clean up and freelance work was finished, we collapsed onto the couch and watched TV. Wow, are we old or what?

It's at the couch point in the evening that, in a sorry state of gluttony and sloth, Jake starts to nag Silka about dessert. But since she doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, she's found her way to a happy sweet-and-savory medium with Cayuga Pure Organics popping-corn topped with butter and Maple Syrup. So easy, delicious, cheap, fun and fast! Which is great, because it's hard enough for Silka to get off the couch in the first place....

Maple Buttered Popcorn

+ 3 tbsp canola, peanut or grapeseed oil (any high smoke point oil)
+ 1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels
+ 1 3-quart covered saucepan
+ just under 1 tbsp of butter & 1 full tbsp of Maple Syrup, melted together with a few dashes of salt
+ salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into a covered pan and wait until you hear them pop. Add the 1/3 cup of kernels to the pan and remove from heat for 30 seconds. Shake lightly in the meantime to coat them in oil and distribute them evenly.

3. Return the pan to the heat. Shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner, keeping the lid slightly ajar to let steam out. You should hear the kernels start to pop after a few seconds.

4. Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat and pour the popcorn into a wide bowl. Add butter/syrup mixture, toss, and salt more to taste. Devour immediately!