Salted peanut butter , pecan and Manuka Honey popcorn

sheryl's kitchen

Welcome!

Paul and I started Steens Honey nearly 40 years ago, and we're still just as passionate about our bees as we always were. I love using our deliciously raw, grainy honey to create recipes with ingredients fresh from our garden in Papamoa Hills.  

Happy days to the festive season. I absolutely love it, and so enjoy seeing all the creations being made, baked and shared.  It’s always the simple things that appeal to me the most and nothing could be simpler than this recipe for Salted Peanut Butter, Pecan and Manuka Honey Popcorn to make everything a little more fun and festive. 

When someone asked me if peanut butter and popcorn are good together the adjectives instantly flew forthright…they are not only good together, they are grand together. The sweetness of the honey with the savoury peanut butter complement each other so well and when you throw popcorn into the mix there’s suddenly another dimension, a happier one! 

Science has proven that certain foods make us happy but who needs science to tell us that relaxing with a bowl, basket or cone of popcorn coated in delicious nuts and honey makes for happiness.  Even the popcorn kernels popping in the pan is exciting and joyful. I often remove the lid (several times) during the process and the explosions from the pot into the air and over the kitchen always gets a happy reaction.

INGREDIENTS

2 hearty tablespoons Steens Manuka Honey 

2 hearty tablespoons Fix and Fogg Peanut Butter 

1/2 cup chopped Pecans (add more if you like)

1 tsp butter

Salt

 

1

Chop up the pecans and lightly toast under the grill.

 

2

In a pan over a medium heat, add the butter, and melt. 

Sprinkle in the corn kernels forming a single layer on the bottom of the pot. Place a pot lid on top and once you hear the kernels starting to explode I always give the pot a good few shakes over the element. Make sure your element is not too hot so the kernels don’t burn.

Once popped, transfer into a large bowl and add the toasted pecans.

 

3

Pop the pot back onto the element on a medium heat, stir in the peanut butter and the honey, continue stirring until they start to lightly caramelize.  Once the mixture starts to glaze over the bottom of the pan and get sticky quickly pour into the popcorn mix coating it all over.

 

4

Working quickly, spread out over a sheet of baking paper and sprinkle with salt.

Once set, it’s ready to go…so simple, so tasty and loads of fun.

I packed this batch into colourful little paper cones we made and it wasn’t just the little ones that enjoyed them.

 

 

It makes a great gift too, I used some repurposed bags and a box that I had saved

(honestly what is it about me and little boxes) but they are very handy!

•

Make home movie night a little bit more fun.. 

Christmas is almost here and one of the best ways to get into the spirit is with a Christmas movie or two. To make your home movie night a bit more fun whilst keeping waste to a minimum, try Sheryl's idea of 'upcycling' paper goods into paper cones for your popcorn.. This is great for those of us with kids or grandkids, or if you just want to surprise your partner / friend / flatmate with a quirky Steens Manuka popcorn treat, and the cones can be kept to use again and again.

The perfect way to use up old magazines, paper grocery bags or any other bits of paper that you don't need any more, and you can also try theming the lounge with fairy lights, paper decorations or a delicious pine scented beeswax candle.

If you have littlies around, a great way to get them involved (and keep them occupied!) is for them to paint or draw pictures onto the paper before you start making the cones, or add buttons, pieces of fabric to them afterwards.

 

HOW TO MAKE POPCORN CONES

 

The way we see it, imperfections just add character... so don't worry about trimming off the wrinkled paper or wonky edges - they add to the fun.

 

 

So there you have it! The beginnings of a Christmas themed movie night, with delicious popcorn and quality time with whoever you choose..

And a little shout out to a fellow New Zealand company - Fix & Fogg. If you haven't tried their nut butters yet, you're missing out! They have best flavour combos you've ever seen, including their award winning 'Everything Butter' - a nut and seed spread packed full of nourishing hemp, chia, sesame, sunflower, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds with peanuts and almonds, and their 'Coffee and Maple' butter in collaboration with Kiwi Coffee roasters Supreme Coffee.. This one is the perfect brekkie butter with pure Canadian maple syrup and a delicious caffeine hit.

None of their nut butters have any nasty additives or preservatives and they are all sugar and palm oil free, which we LOVE.