Vegan Candy Recipes - Holiday Candyshop Popcorn - By: Katya Kotic

This one is a classic among vegan candy recipes. The combo of peanuts and crispy popcorn in a glistening golden sugar glaze has a tantalizing sweet-and-salty crunch that’s irresistible.

Choosing the right butter substitute
The sugar glaze has a buttery richness, but it’s dairy free. There are a number of butter substitute options for vegans, but success depends on choosing the one that’s right for the dish you’re making.

Vegan butter substitutes are smooth and flavorful, but though they can be substituted directly for butter in recipes (1 cup vegan butter substitute = 1 cup butter) they tend to be less dense than dairy butter.

In many recipes (including this one), a butter-flavored vegetable shortening such as Butter-Flavor Crisco is an excellent choice because it melts beautifully and adds both a golden low and a distinctly buttery backround flavor to the glaze.

Since there are times when this recipe requires working quickly, it’s a good one to do with company in the kitchen; the glaze tends to firm up quickly so having an extra pair of hands available to speed the shaping process along could come in handy. If you’re working alone, remember to get your cookie sheet prepared before you add the glaze to the peanut-popcorn mix.

You’ll get the best results from this (or any!) candy recipe if you use a candy thermometer. “Guesstimating” is always a risky business when you’re working with sugar syrups

Holiday Candyshop Popcorn

2 1/2 quarts popped corn

2 1/4 C light brown sugar

1/2 C water

1/2 C vegan butter substitute (NuCoa Margarine or Butter-Flavor Crisco recommended)

2 tsp salt

1 Tbs vanilla

1 C salted peanuts

Keep the popped corn crisp in the oven, at about 300 degrees.

Use vegan butter substitute to thinly coat one large bowl, and two cookie sheets or platters. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, syrup, water, vegan butter subsitiute and salt. Attach thermometer and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the syrup reaches 290 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Mix the popcorn and nuts in the prepared bowl and pour the syrup in a fine stream over the mixture. Work quickly to mix well until the popcorn and nuts are completely coated, and then spread the mixture out in a thin layer on the prepared cookie sheets. Quickly separate into bite-sized clusters with two forks dipped in a little vegan butter substitute.

This recipe makes about 3 1/2 quarts of delicious, old-fashioned candy popcorn, vegan-style.

About the Author

Going vegan doesn't mean going without delicious food! Find recipes for dairy-free vegan Christmas Cookies, plus animal-free side and main dishes for a holiday feast at Vegan Christmas Recipes.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Katya-Kotic/102432

Additional Articles From - Home | Food & beverage | Recipes