Apple Fritter Popcorn

Cinnamon-apple caramel popcorn with freeze-dried apple bits and a thin vanilla glaze. Apple cider in the caramel plus apple powder is what makes it taste like a fritter, not just caramel corn with fruit on top.

By Brandon Carroll

Yield: 10 servings (about 12 cups)

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 50 minutes

Total: about 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Popcorn and caramel

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels (about 12 cups popped)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or neutral oil, if popping on the stove
• 1 1/2 cups freeze-dried apple slices (about 1.5 to 2 oz), divided
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Glaze

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt

Optional finish

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 250 F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
2. Pop the kernels on the stove with the oil, or use an air popper. Dump into a very large heatproof bowl and pick out any unpopped kernels.
3. Pulse 1/2 cup of the freeze-dried apples in a food processor or blender to a fine powder. Chop the remaining 1 cup into pea-size bits. Toss the chopped bits with the popcorn. Keep the powder for the caramel.
4. In a medium saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, apple cider, and salt. Set over medium heat and stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Once it comes to a full boil, cook without stirring 4 minutes, or until a candy thermometer reads 240 F (soft-ball).
5. Pull the pan off the heat. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, the apple powder, and baking soda. The caramel will foam and lighten — that foam is what coats the popcorn instead of sitting in sheets.
6. Immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn. Use two heatproof spatulas to toss until every kernel has some coat. Work fast; it starts to set.
7. Spread the popcorn onto the two sheets. Bake 45 minutes, stirring and flipping every 15 minutes so the coating dries evenly and does not scorch at the edges.
8. Cool on the sheets 8 to 10 minutes so the caramel is set but the popcorn is still slightly warm. Whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, 1 tablespoon milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until thick but pourable; add the second tablespoon of milk only if the glaze is too stiff to drizzle.
9. Drizzle the glaze over both sheets. Toss once, gently, so you get glazed clusters without washing the caramel off. Dust with cinnamon sugar if you want a bakery-counter finish. Cool completely until the glaze is dry to the touch, then break into clusters. Store airtight up to 4 days.