Your Next Holiday Treat Addiction – Homemade Caramel Corn

As you might have seen last week, one of my bosses commissioned me to make Christmas goody baskets.  So I researched to find some good treats to put in them, and I stumbled upon this super easy caramel corn recipe.  And let me tell you something…. this stuff is the BOMB DOT COM. And more addicting than crack cocaine.

I don’t know if you have ever had the Topsy’s caramel corn, in the big tins, but I think that this stuff is better!  It’s crazy flavorful. My apologies for the terrible pictures.  I took them at 6 o’clock this morning when I first woke up… not my brightest idea.  But I don’t typically have bright ideas at that time of day.

I have several favorite holiday treats.

• pumpkin pie
• bourbon balls
• chocolate balls (like buckeyes)
• peanut clusters
• haystacks…. until I became gluten free….
• and now, this caramel corn!

This recipe was sent from Heaven.  I have made several batches of it, and it hasn’t failed to impress yet!  First Carrieli and  I made 3 for the goody baskets.  I made some for a Christmas party, and everyone loved it, and I made some more as a Christmas present for my boss. And anything that is ever left over…. well it doesn’t stay long around our house….

Homemade Caramel Corn

I used the recipe from Joy the Baker for this.  Her page has much better quality pictures so I encourage you to check it out.

Directions:

• 2-3 Tbsp oil & 1/2 cup popcorn kernels (makes about 12 cups popped popcorn)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup butter or margerine
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 250.
2. Lightly Spray or grease two cookie sheets.
3. Pop your popcorn according the instructions on the package and then set it aside in a LARGE bowl.
4. Put the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a 2 quart saucepan.  Over medium heat, stir the mixture till it’s melted and combined.  Once it begins to boil, let it sit there and continue to boil for about 5 minutes.  Don’t stir it during those 5 minutes.  Just watch it bubble and admire the beautiful gold color.
5. Take the mixture off the heat and immediately stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The coolest thing will happen.  The mixture foams, turns color, and change consistency!
6. Immediately after that pour the “caramel” over the popcorn and mix it up.  That’s why you need a LARGE bowl. Try your best to coat all of the popcorn with the caramel.  You have to do this quickly, and carefully because the caramel is sticky and HOT.
7. Pour the mixture out onto the cookie sheets.  I like to use two because in bit you will have to stir up the popcorn again, and that’s hard to do when your cookie sheet is overloaded.
8. Bake for 20 minutes.  Take them out and stir them up again.  This is a chance to really get the caramel evenly distributed.  Bake 20 minutes longer. When you take it out you can mix it again if you want.
9. Let the caramel corn cool and then break it up into desired size pieces.  If you are giving it away…. a word of caution, it’s addicting.  You’ll eat half the gift before you have a chance to wrap it.  Now if it’s a gift to yourself then it isn’t a problem. 😉

Note:

• If you need to make a lot, make it one batch at a time.  As there won’t be enough room in your oven for multiple batches.

I strongly encourage you to try this stuff!  It’s crazy easy and fast.  It’s a crowd pleaser and makes great gifts.  It also makes a great munchie to have around your house.

Do you have any favorite holiday goodies?