Sweet Tweaks Round-Up: Cast Your Votes Now!
Our first-ever Sweet Tweaks contest has yielded a modest but exciting batch of caramel popcorn tweaks, and we can't wait to see which one is your favorite. We've posted all of the entries below.
Take a look and submit a comment voting for your favorite Sweet Tweak of the Week. We'll accept votes until Wednesday evening (6 p.m. ET), and we'll announce the winner, along with the recipe for the next Sweet Tweaks contest, on Thursday.
Corn Ice Cream Sandwich (corn ice cream between corn sponge cake): With lime-macerated cherries, caramel corn consomme (caramel "stock" infused with popcorn, clarified via gelatin method), cherry sorbet and caramel popcorn.
Candied Bacon Strips with a Sprinkle of Caramel Popcorn Bits: Each crunchy
bite is a wondrous combination of sweet, salty and bacon-y goodness.
Pumpkin-Spiced Kulfi with Caramel Popcorn: Kulfi is a frozen dessert found in South Asia that is similar to ice cream. This version is flavored with pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and topped with toasted walnuts. Caramel popcorn adorns the top, and caramel is drizzled on the side.
Chile Popcorn Candy Bars: I spiced the caramel corn with chile powder and pressed it into a butter cookie base, then drizzled the bars with dark chocolate. The result is crunchy, creamy, buttery, caramelly, and chocolatey. Oh yeah, and just a bit hot.
Caramel Popcorn Cup with Hard-Apple Cider Sorbet: A riff on the classic pairing of caramel and apple--I molded the caramel corn into cups and made a Granny Smith/hard apple cider sorbet.
Caramel Pretzel Nibs with Salted, Roasted Peanuts: My tweak to caramel popcorn? First, ditch the popcorn! I'm not a fan of the flavor and I definitely hate the way it always manages to stick itself uncomfortably into my gums. Instead I'd use pretzel nibs. Then I'd add in some salted roasted peanuts. In case you couldn't tell already, I'm a big fan of the salty-sweet combination and I think this combo is a winner. I think I'd serve the whole thing as an accompaniment to some bananas flambé. A scoop of vanilla wouldn't hurt either.
Caramel Corn-Krispie Treats: This is something I had kept in the family that was weird but delicious snack or treat. Take the usual over the stove popcorn and add the caramel when needed. In another bowl, make the traditional Rice Krispie treats. While keeping the Krispies in the mixing bowl, add the caramel popcorn while still hot. Mix well, and spread on cookie sheet. This adds great flavor and texture to this treat. The flavor of the caramel and the marshmallows is sweet and tangy. I sometimes melt and drizzle chocolate on top or mix in some chocolate chips in the bowl before spreading on sheet.
Caramel Popcorn with Miniature Chocolate Chips: To tweak the Caramel Popcorn recipe, simply add miniature chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows to the mix. Add miniature chocolate chips and peanuts. Miniature chocolate chips and almonds.
Comments are closed: 54 Comments:
Chile Popcorn Caramel Bars: brilliant! That's what I want for dinner...er, I mean dessert, yeah, dessert....
Cary at 1:41PM on 10/21/08
I gotta go with the Chile Popcorn Caramel Bars myself.... those look amazing!
Maureen at 1:43PM on 10/21/08
My vote is for Candied Bacon Strips with a Sprinkle of Caramel Popcorn Bits.
As my new awesome sweatshirt (that I just received yesterday!) says, "Praise the Lard".
gastronomeg at 1:51PM on 10/21/08
The popcorn cup is so cute-- any edible serving dish is fine by me.
gugster3 at 2:06PM on 10/21/08
Caramel Popcorn Cup with Hard-Apple Cider Sorbet!
FamishedFem at 2:11PM on 10/21/08
Chile popcorn caramel bars FTW!
Truculence at 2:12PM on 10/21/08
I'm in South Florida where it's still in the mid-80s, so I've got to go with Pumpkin-Spiced Kulfi with Caramel Popcorn. Sounds like a great blend of summer and fall...
inblackink at 2:13PM on 10/21/08
Bacon - is there nothing you can't do?
Candied Bacon Strips with a Sprinkle of Caramel Popcorn Bits gets my vote.
klaybc at 2:14PM on 10/21/08
I am dying to try bacon with caramel popcorn. Should taste unusual. My vote is here. Send it over :-)
vlad007 at 2:16PM on 10/21/08
Candied Bacon Strips with a Sprinkle of Caramel Popcorn Bits
bsuqb12 at 2:22PM on 10/21/08
I'm voting for the Pumpkin-Spiced Kulfi with Caramel Popcorn :)
yogurtsoda at 2:22PM on 10/21/08
I can't believe there aren't more votes for the Kulfi!
HeartofGlass at 2:29PM on 10/21/08
I rarely even eat bacon, but Candied Bacon Strips with a Sprinkle of Caramel Popcorn Bits gets my vote.
rbear at 2:52PM on 10/21/08
The Pumpkin-Spiced Kulfi w/Caramel Popcorn looks yummy
edinat at 2:59PM on 10/21/08
Bacon all the way. it adds the salty that I crave
AbaigaelsMom at 3:20PM on 10/21/08
oh man that pumpkin spiced kulfi sound/looks so good! I vote that one.
windattack at 3:24PM on 10/21/08
Chile Popcorn Candy Bars: love the hot-sweet-salty idea!
shalomblack at 3:31PM on 10/21/08
another vote for the pumpkin spiced kulfi
lulu6 at 3:38PM on 10/21/08
another vote for Chile Popcorn Candy Bars
thewoundedchef at 3:57PM on 10/21/08
kulfi gets my vote
zekks at 4:03PM on 10/21/08
Candied Bacon Strips with a Sprinkle of Caramel Popcorn Bits:
AnaisKoi at 4:05PM on 10/21/08
Candied Bacon Strips with a Sprinkle of Caramel Popcorn Bits - It just sounds like a winner. It is hard to go wrong with bacon.
lakeloverhh at 4:32PM on 10/21/08
Kulfi!
emmab at 4:34PM on 10/21/08
Bacon.
wunami at 5:17PM on 10/21/08
popcorn cup w/sorbet!
SpringLake at 5:36PM on 10/21/08
Ditto on the Kulfi!
Kimc54 at 5:51PM on 10/21/08
Caramel Popcorn Cup with Hard-Apple Cider Sorbet
OneWallKitchen at 6:06PM on 10/21/08
Unbelievably great entries and extremely hard choice. Kudos to all!
I adore pumpkin ice cream even more than sorbet, and I can only find it in the autumn, whereas I can get bacon anytime, so Kulfi gets my vote.
PerkyMac at 6:19PM on 10/21/08
Candied Bacon Strips with a Sprinkle of Caramel Popcorn Bits has bacon in it. How could I not vote for it?
christopholi at 6:27PM on 10/21/08
The Pumpkin-Spiced Kulfi with Caramel Popcorn sounds REALLY good.
bansidhe at 6:31PM on 10/21/08
Candied Bacon Strips get my vote for sure. Sweet, salty, and totally irresistible!
piquant at 6:45PM on 10/21/08
Candied Bacon Strips with a Sprinkle of Caramel Popcorn Bits!
brooke29 at 7:27PM on 10/21/08
I love the self-referential corn on corn action of the corn ice cream sandwich. I could do without lime macerated cherries. I wonder if the corn keeps its crisp nature.
wanderingfoodie at 7:34PM on 10/21/08
Many of these sound awesome, but I've got to go with Chile Popcorn Candy Bars.
lissame72 at 7:38PM on 10/21/08
It was very hard to decide, but I will have to go with the Caramel Popcorn Cup with Hard-Apple Cider Sorbet.
jessleigh at 8:36PM on 10/21/08
They all sound neat (well, maybe not the bacon), but I'll definitely vote for the Kulfi.
emilydev at 8:46PM on 10/21/08
Chile Popcorn Candy Bars!
nyclocavore at 9:09PM on 10/21/08
Pumpkin-Spiced Kulfi with Caramel Popcorn! That sounds good
Meewlee at 9:36PM on 10/21/08
Bacon Popcorn sounds fabulous, creative and daring, I simply can't wait to try it.
leeroberts at 11:48PM on 10/21/08
Having now read and e-tasted the various Top Of The Pops, my vote goes to the candied bacon strips. Such a brilliant distinction between sweet and salt. Yummy, Yummy.
leeroberts at 11:58PM on 10/21/08
Help! I'm running out of saliva! These Kulfis are front row worthy of an bakery case.
bakinrapscallion at 12:21AM on 10/22/08
Give me a Chile Popcorn Candy Bar now! Please?
francie at 1:44AM on 10/22/08
Chile Popcorn Candy Bars--YUM
Apple at 8:25AM on 10/22/08
Caramel Popcorn Cup with Hard-Apple Cider Sorbet:
AliceBlue at 9:34AM on 10/22/08
i have to go with the popcorn cup. best idea ever.
grace24 at 10:44AM on 10/22/08
chile popcorn candy bars.... gotta have some spice
dozertx at 11:49AM on 10/22/08
popcorn cup/cider sorbet... although the bacon would be an awesome snack right now
alisahno at 11:52AM on 10/22/08
I vote for the popcorn cup with apple cider sorbet! Great concept!
Chew on That at 12:04PM on 10/22/08
Chile popcorn candy bars. Can't wait to try making them myself!
PMA99 at 12:09PM on 10/22/08
My vote is for the Candied Bacon, obviously.
saraheats at 12:36PM on 10/22/08
popcorn cup with apple cider sorbet!
jtown1 at 1:28PM on 10/22/08
Bacon for breakfast is so last year. My vote goes to Candied Bacon Strips!
BaconWuver at 2:34PM on 10/22/08
another vote for the bacon......
mepolo at 3:23PM on 10/22/08
Candied Bacon Strips!
metalchick666 at 4:44PM on 10/22/08