Sweet treats to make with popcorn

FALLBROOK – Popcorn is an amazingly versatile grain. With a little imagination and some common household ingredients, families can make tasty and original snacks in no time at all. They can also create treats for special occasions like Valentine’s Day.

Here are a few recipes to make for a sweetheart, compliments of the Popcorn Board.

Rocky Road Popcorn Clusters

Start to finish: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: about 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 6-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

4 cups popped popcorn

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Place chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high 1 minute, until melted. Stir in oil.

Place popcorn, marshmallows and walnuts in large bowl. Pour chocolate over mixture, tossing to coat.

Drop mixture by tablespoonful onto wax paper-lined jellyroll pan.

Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Cheery Cherry Popcorn

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Yield: 2 1/2 quarts

Ingredients

2 1/2 quarts air-popped popcorn

1 package cherry flavored gelatin

Butter flavored spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put popcorn into a very large oven-safe bowl and spray lightly with butter flavored oil.

Sprinkle with gelatin.

Bake for five minutes. Gelatin will dissolve slightly and stick to the popcorn.

Cookies ‘N’ Cream Popcorn

Start to finish: 2 hours

Yield: 12 Cups

Ingredients

12 cups popped corn

One 11-ounce package white chocolate chips

2 teaspoons coconut oil

15 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

Directions

Place popcorn in large bowl; set aside.

In medium saucepan on low heat, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil; stir until blended.

Pour melted chocolate over popcorn, stirring until well-coated. Stir in chopped Oreo’s.

Spread mixture on baking sheet and chill until chocolate has set. Break into pieces to serve.