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Thursday, February 25, 2021
GO! magazine — A&E in Northeast Oregon
Ovenly is back, with a sweet & salty genius snack
By Kate Krader
Bloomberg News
One benefi ciary of pandemic-
related lockdowns has been
cookbooks. Print sales rose 15%
for the fi rst three quarters of 2020,
compared to 2019.
Cult favorite Brooklyn bakery
Ovenly has taken advantage of
that renewed obsession with a new
edition of their 2014 tome “Ovenly:
Sweet and Salty Recipes from New
York’s Most Creative Bakery.”
The book went through three
printings and then disappeared.
“During quarantine when ev-
eryone amped up their baking, no
one could fi nd our cookbook,” says
Ovenly cofounder Agatha Kulaga.
In response, she and fellow
founder Erin Patinkin put out an
updated version in early January,
including new recipes, such as their
top-selling hot chocolate cookies,
packed with mini marshmallows.
Among the old favorites: spicy
caramel corn, studded with fat
pieces of bacon. Although Ovenly
became famous for its cookies,
scones and stout-spiked Brooklyn
Blackout cake, “the secret begin-
ning,” says Kulaga, is that they
started off as a bar snack company.
“We spent a lot of time brain-
storming business plans over
drinks,” she says. “Our plan was to
level up lame bar snacks.”
Their pastries may have taken
off more quickly, but their fi rst big
idea — that popcorn — is a sight to
behold, a genius snack perfect for
staying at home.
The kernels are doused in a cay-
enne pepper caramel infused with
ale. Add bacon, and the result is
addictively smoky, sweet and spicy,
combining a large amount of crave-
able products in one place.
It’s a no-brainer with beer,
although it’ll complement a wintry
whiskey drink too.
The beer caramel is the trickiest
part (but made infi nitely simpler
with a candy thermometer), then
it’s just a matter of combining the
ingredients and waiting for the
popcorn to cool enough to eat.
■ SPICY BACON AND BEER CARAMEL CORN
INSTRUCTIONS
INGREDIENTS
6 slices thick-cut bacon or 10 slices
regular bacon
Non-stick cooking spray
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
4 tablespoons rendered bacon fat (from
cooking the bacon)
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup dark English ale
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
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1. In a pan, fry the bacon until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to
paper towels to cool, then crumble into large pieces. Pour off 4 table-
spoons fat for the popcorn. Reserve the remaining fat for another use.
(The book’s authors, who are strong no-waste advocates, recommend
mixing leftover bacon fat with softened butter for a porky spread for
bread and muffi ns.)
2. Spray a large mixing bowl, baking sheet and two large metal mix-
ing spoons with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a popcorn popper or large pot with a lid, heat the bacon fat over
medium-high heat. Add the popcorn, cover and cook until all the kernels
have popped, shaking constantly to prevent burning. If using a popper,
follow the manufacturer’s directions.
4. Transfer the popcorn to the coated bowl and mix in the cooked
bacon.
5. Combine the baking soda and cayenne in a small bowl.
6. In a large pot, combine the sugar, ale, water, butter and salt. Cook
until the mixture turns a rich golden brown and reaches 305° on a candy
thermometer, about 15 minutes. (If you don’t have a thermometer, drop
a spoonful of the mixture in cold water; it should be hard enough to
crack if you mold it.)
7. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the cayenne and baking soda
for 30 seconds until any clumps have been dispersed and the foam
subsides.
8. Immediately pour the caramel evenly over the popcorn and bacon
and mix well using the prepared spoons, until everything is well coated.
9. Spread the caramel corn onto the prepared baking sheet. Let cool,
then break apart into bite-sized pieces and serve.
This recipe is adapted from
“Ovenly: Sweet and Salty
Recipes from New York’s Most
Creative Bakery” by Agatha
Kulaga and Erin Patinkin (Park
Row Books; $24).
Makes about 4 cups.
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