Brown Butter Popcorn

Air-popped popcorn with brown butter – better than movie theatre popcorn!

I’m going to make a very bold statement about this popcorn: it is better than movie theatre popcorn. Even if I’ve had a big meal, I still get the popcorn when I go see a movie, with the real butter. Layered. I’m serious about butter on popcorn but now that I have discovered the simple beauty of air-popped popcorn with a generous amount of brown butter, I will be saving a lot of money since I won’t be pulled to the movies by a crazy popcorn craving.

Timothy absolutely loves this popcorn. He eats more of it than I do when we make it. He also loves helping make the popcorn with the air popper. He excitedly drags his stool over and helps pour the popcorn in. He giggles in delight as the popcorn flies out of the machine and into the bowl. I make sure he is well away from the stove when the butter is browning because it spatters before it gets to the foaming stage.

As of this weekend, we have just bought a house and we are in the process of putting an obscene amount of stuff in a rented storage unit to get ready to list our house. The financial pressure of moving to a slightly bigger house is starting to weigh heavily on me since I am currently a stay-at-home-mom. The thought of spending $40 for the two of us to go to the movies, get popcorn and a pop just isn’t in the cards right now. I have a feeling we will be popping in a movie that we already own into the BluRay player when we feel like having a movie night. Thankfully, making popcorn at home costs pennies rather than the extortionate prices the theatre charges for their popcorn.

I do really want to go see Iron Man 3 though…

What is your favourite movie to settle in and watch for a movie night, even if you’ve seen it half a dozen times (or more)?

Brown Butter Popcorn

Christina Austin

Air-popped popcorn generously buttered with brown butter.

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Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 3/4 cup popcorn kernels about 12 cups popped popcorn
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1 tsp Maldon Sea Salt

Instructions

 

• Using a popcorn machine, pop all of the popcorn. Most popcorn machines don't have a capacity to do 3/4 cup popcorn all at once so you will need to do it in stages.
• While the popcorn pops, put 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan over a medium heat.
• The butter will melt, then splatter a bit so be careful. Once it is done splattering, it will start to foam.
• Keep a close eye on it at this stage because it will start to brown shortly after it foams. When it is foaming you will start to smell the butter take on a nuttiness and then you will see the brown bits bubble up.
• When you see that, take it off the heat and when the foam subsides, you can add it to the popcorn.
• Stir the butter into the popcorn with a large flat spoon and gently stir well to coat all the popcorn with butter.
• Sprinkle with a bit of Maldon Sea Salt (or other really good salt) to taste.