Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn with Chocolate Drizzle

For the original recipe, see http://realmomkitchen.com/3688/after-school-peanut-butter-and-honey-popcorn/

• 2/3 cup unpopped popcorn
• coconut oil
• salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup + another dollop of peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• half a bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips, minus a few handfuls that were devoured as a late-night snack

Melt a tablespoon or more (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add one kernel of popcorn to the pan and cover with lid.  When the test kernel pops, add 1/3 cup kernels, cover the pan, shake to coat kernels with oil.  When popping slows down, remove from heat.  Dump popped corn into a large bowl (try not to add too many unpopped kernels) and repeat with the remaining popcorn.  Add salt to taste while still warm.

Put honey and sugar into a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 2 minutes or until the sugar is all melted and smooth.  Stir in the vanilla (so much fun to watch the alcohol bubble and fizz), then remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter until it's all melted.  (I used Skippy, but I bet this would be delicious with unsweetened PB or even almond or cashew butter.)  Pour the mixture over the popcorn and stir until it's all coated.

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power for 1 minute.  Stir (keep stirring until the chips start to melt into one another and the bottom of the bowl isn't quite so warm).  Heat for an additional 10-15 seconds on full power, stirring and repeating until nice and smooth.  Drizzle chocolate over popcorn in a decorative criss-cross pattern.

Eat too much, but feel virtuous anyway, because popcorn is a whole grain and chocolate has antioxidants.  If you used local honey, feel even more virtuous for supporting local farmers and saving the environment.