Caramel Corn

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300°.
  2. Pop the popcorn and transfer to a large bowl, remove all unpopped kernels.
  3. DO NOT use microwave popcorn.
  4. If using peanuts mix peanuts into popcorn.
  5. Transfer popcorn and peanuts to a 17x12x2 cookie sheet.
  6. In a 1½-quart saucepan combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt.
  7. Cook and stir over medium heat until butter melts and mixture comes to a boil.
  8. Cook at a simmering boil, without stirring, for precisely 5 minutes.
  9. Remove from heat.
  10. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. You will notice the baking soda will cause the mixture to foam and lighten up in color.
  11. Immediately pour carmel sauce over popcorn; gently stir and coat popcorn (I use a heat proof spatula for stirring). You need to work fast so that the caramel coating doesn’t harden. Don’t worry if you can’t coat all the popcorn.
  12. Bake for 15 minutes.
  13. Remove from oven and gently stir to coat the popcorn.
  14. Bake 10 minutes more.
  15. Remove caramel corn to a large bowl; cool.

Comments

Makes 8 cups of caramel corn.

Store in an airtight container.

Caramel corn will keep for about a week, but I’m warning you it will disappear much faster than that.

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Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Des Moines: Meridith Corporation (1981).