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Grinch Popcorn
We've been obsessed with the Grinch since he first made an appearance in Dr. Seuss's book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 1957. The 1966 animation, narrated by Boris Karloff, brought him even more to life and we've been adapting and revisiting his story ever since. And while he may start off grinchy, he becomes lovable and his iconic shade of green synonymous with the Christmas season.
Not only is his story part of the holiday tradition but recreating him in popcorn form makes for a fun activity with kids. We like to read them the story, maybe watch the cartoon, and then head into the kitchen to make Grinch popcorn. A little practice got us to a pretty close shade of Grinch green and adding mini marshmallows and Christmas colored M&M candies is enough for a tasty bowl of sweet and crunchy popcorn.
But we've also added a recipe for making Grinch balls. Mom and dad should handle the hot butter and marshmallow syrup but once you add the popcorn and start forming balls, the kids can go crazy decorating his face and making the balls look as Grinch-like as possible. And when you're done and have cleaned up the chocolate mess, it's time to enjoy this tasty treat. And don't forget to wrap some up to give as gifts.
Grinch Popcorn
6
15 minutes
10 minutes
Grinch popcorn two ways! Our recipe for sweet and crunchy, Grinch colored popcorn, studded with mini marshmallows and M&M candies is a tasty treat. Or, make popcorn Rice Krispie style Grinch balls that the kids can help decorate.
Ingredients
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3 Tablespoons canola oil
⅓ Cup Dell Cove Christmas Movie popcorn kernels
¼ Teaspoon salt
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2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons water
½ Cup granulated sugar
Green gel food color
Pinch of salt
Mini marshmallows
Red and green M&M candies
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4 Tablespoons butter
1 Bag (approx. 10 oz.) mini marshmallows
Pinch of salt
Green gel food coloring
Red M&M candies
½ Cup white chocolate chips
½ Cup milk chocolate chips
Directions
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Add the oil and 2 to 3 of the kernels to a large pot with a lid. Heat on high until the kernels pop. Add the remaining kernels and the salt. Cover, continue cooking on high, shaking the pot often, until the popping stops. Remove the popcorn to a large bowl.
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Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the granulated sugar, butter, water and salt to a large pot. Cook on low heat, stirring often, until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Stir in the green food color and check that you're happy with the shade. When using gel colors, we’ve found that 2 to 3 drops gives you a Grinch shade of green.
Stir in the popped popcorn, making sure that all the kernels are coated. Spread out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on mini marshmallows and red and green M&M’s.
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In a large pot, melt the butter and stir in the marshmallows and salt. Cook on low heat, stirring often, for a few minutes. When fully melted, stir in the green food color and check that you're happy with the shade. When using gel colors, we’ve found that 2 to 3 drops gives you a Grinch shade of green.
Add in the popcorn and stir until fully coated.
Using a 2 ounce cookie scoop, form balls of popcorn and place on a plate lined with parchment paper. Note that this is easier to do with slightly wet hands.
Melt the white chocolate chips and add a small amount to the balls to form eyes. You can do this with a piping bag or freehand. Glue a red M&M to each white round. You can also use a dab of the chocolate to adhere the M&M and skip forming the white part of the eyes.
Melt the milk chocolate chips and use it to form eyebrows, a nose and/or mouth to each ball. Note that adding a dab of brown chocolate to each red M&M eye will make it more Grinch-like.
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