1. {
“title”: “Bloody Red Velvet Popcorn for Halloween Nights”,
“summary”: “Crunchy, candy-coated red velvet popcorn with a spooky white drizzle—perfect for Halloween parties and horror movie marathons.”,
“yields”: “12 cups (about 8 servings)”,
“prep_time”: “10 minutes”,
“cook_time”: “10 minutes”,
“total_time”: “35 minutes”,
“ingredients”: [
“1/2 cup popcorn kernels (or 12 cups plain popped popcorn)”,
“1 cup red velvet cake mix, heat-treated (optional but recommended)”,
“3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder”,
“1 cup granulated sugar”,
“1/2 cup unsalted butter”,
“1/4 cup light corn syrup”,
“1 tsp vanilla extract”,
“1/2 tsp fine salt”,
“1–2 tsp red gel food coloring”,
“4 oz white chocolate, melted (optional drizzle)”,
“Candy eyes or Halloween sprinkles (optional)”,
“Nonstick spray or neutral oil for bowl”
],
“instructions”: [
“Heat-treat cake mix (optional): Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F/150°C for 5 minutes; cool.”,
“Pop kernels by air popper or stovetop; measure 12 cups popcorn, discard unpopped kernels, and place in a lightly oiled large bowl.”,
“In a saucepan, melt butter with sugar, corn syrup, and salt over medium heat; stir until dissolved, then simmer 3–4 minutes (235°F/112°C if using a thermometer).”,
“Remove from heat; whisk in cocoa powder, heat-treated cake mix, vanilla, and red gel coloring until smooth and vividly red.”,
“Immediately pour over popcorn; toss quickly and gently with a spatula until evenly coated.”,
“Spread popcorn onto parchment-lined sheets; let set until dry and crisp, 20–25 minutes. Break apart any large clusters.”,
“Drizzle with melted white chocolate and add candy eyes or sprinkles if desired; serve or store airtight up to 3–4 days.”
],
“nutrition”: {
“calories