AZTEC CHOCOLATE POPCORN

By Kitchenbee

From a party planning book for various events.

Ingredients

• 14 cups chopped popcorn
• 1 cup roasted and salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup light-color corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp banilla
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
• 1 tblsp shortening
• 2 tsp ground ancho chile pepper
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso coffee powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 300. Remove all unpopped kernels from popped popcorn. In a roasting pan combine popcorn and pumpkin seeds. Keep warm in oven while preparing caramel.

For caramel, butter a large sheet of foil; set aside. In a medium saucepan combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is boiling. Continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla.

Pour caramel over popcorn mixture; stir gently to coat. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir mixture; bake for 5 minutes more. Spread popcorn mixture on prepared foil to cool completely.

In a small saucepan combine chocolate, shortening, ancho chile pepper, coffee powder, and cinnamon. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted.

Drizzle chocolate mixture over popcorn mixture; toss gently to coat. Let stand at room temperature or in the refrigerator until set. Break mixture into clusters. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

To roast pumpkin seeds, start with 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds. Preheat oven to 350. IN a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan combine seeds, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt; toss gently to coat. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking.