Baked Caramel Corn

Shortly after I posted the recipe for Microwave Caramel Corn, I found this recipe in the Sunday paper - printed from Jollytime.

It's pretty similar, but instead of making it in the microwave, you bake it in the oven. Perfect if you don't have a microwave or if you're running low on paper grocery sacks like me.

Baked Caramel Corn

• 24 cups popped popcorn
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
• 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Coat bottom and sides of large roasting pan with vegetable oil spray.
2. Place popped popcorn in roasting pan.
3. In a heavy pan, slowly melt butter; stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly; boil without stirring 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda and vanilla.
4. Gradually pour over popped popcorn, mixing well. Bake in preheated 250° oven 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, and cool completely.
6. Break apart and store in tightly covered container.

I didn't measure the popcorn - just popped three batches of air pop (1/2 cup unpopped corn per batch) directly into the roaster pan. Since this recipe is basically double the microwave recipe, and I use two batches for that, I cut the butter, sugar, and corn syrup down - 1-1/2 sticks butter, 1-1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup plus 2 T. corn syrup - but if you like your popcorn more coated, just follow the original measurements. I also only used 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. The print recipe is the way I made it, and I think it's perfect.

This is a great alternative to the microwave recipe. It takes longer to make, but it makes more in one batch. It tastes good, too! This stuff just does not last very long.

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Caramel Corn

I figured out yesterday why I can't completely go to those reusable shopping bags. I need some paper grocery sacks, if only so I can make caramel corn.

Caramel Corn

Ingredients:

• 5-6 quarts popped corn (use air pop or as little oil as possible; not microwave popcorn)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Directions:

1. Put popped corn into a paper grocery bag
2. Put brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt into a microwave-safe bowl and boil for 2 minutes. (begin timing after mixture begins to boil)
3. Take out of microwave and stir in 1/2 tsp. baking soda
4. Pour sugar mixture over popped corn in bag, shake well, microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes; take out and shake well; return to microwave for another 1-1/2 minutes. Shake and microwave for another 1-1/2 minutes.
5. Pour caramel corn out of bag onto cookie sheets to cool; break it up as it cools

Enjoy!

I got this recipe from my mom. I'm not sure where she got it from, but it's much easier than the popcorn balls she used to make once in a while, and so good.

I use air pop popcorn - 2 poppings. This may be a little more popcorn than the original recipe calls for, but the popcorn gets coated nicely, and it's not too sweet.

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