Holiday Carmel Popcorn

****Please Note that to my surprise (and MAJOR Irritation) realized this post never posted :( , it was set to post on Christmas Day so you could whip up the recipe and enjoy throughout the holidays… sorry. But you can still enjoy Carmel Popcorn anytime of the year! Go forth!

I won’t say too much about this popcorn because if you are reading this I urge you to buy a bag of popcorn on your way home today and make it for yourself! Believe me, the end product is going to do all the talking for itself!

So let’s get down to business!

You first need to set your oven to 150*F and pop your plain popcorn as normal in the microwave. 2 Bags. However depending on how you like your caramel popcorn (totally covered vs. lightly covered) you may not need the entire second bad. We’ll get back to that later.

Then you really have to get yourself set up in the kitchen before you start the caramel process. Once the caramel gets going you do not have time to run around and find something you need.

Find the 2 biggest mixing bowls that you have! If you do not have 2 large mixing bowls, 5 quarts or so, then find three of the largest bowls that you have! Get them ready on the counter.

Dump out your popcorn onto two parchment papered cookie sheets. Spread all popcorn out evenly and then lightly shake/tap the pans onto the counter. You are trying to get any un-popped kernels to fall to the bottom. Pile the popcorn back evenly into your bowls and be careful not to take any of those kernels with you! Nobody likes crunching into one of those things.

Now get your caramel ingredients ready in the pan. Do NOT put the baking soda in yet! Wait for the below step… very important!

Once you have your butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar measured out turn your burner on medium heat. Be patient, high heat will cause burned sugar! Not desirable. Now look closely at the picture above. Once you have melted all of your initial ingredient keep whisking to keep from any hot spots from burning your caramel. When you start to see tiny bubbles starting to form and come to the top drop in your soda and keep whisking! You’ll quickly get to the state of below picture.

From here remove from heat and pour about a quarter of the caramel on to the first bowl. Quickly stir the the popcorn around and get all of the globs spread among the corn. Pour on about another quarter or “glob” of caramel until you are happy with the level of caramel to popcorn ratio. This is totally up to you! Rinse and repeat for the next bowl(s). You do not have to do this at such a rate of speed that caramel and popcorn are flying around your kitchen like crazy, but you do have to work quickly. And thus why I don’t actually have any pictures of the mixing bowl steps. Sorry…

Once you’re all mixed up and coated in caramel go ahead and dump the now “caramel corn” back onto those parchment paper covered sheets. Spread the popcorn out into a single layer of corn and then place them into your oven and wait. Wait a long time.

The original recipe said to bake overnight for 8 hours! Yikes… I take them out sooner than that and it is still delicious!

Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes. Then eat. Eat. Eat! The light and crispiness of this popcorn is going to blow your mind. And if you have family over during the holidays for a few “honest and fair” rounds of cards or board games, this is the ultimate snack food to have on the table!

Or, if you want to save yourself from a new addiction, just let the popcorn cool and then bag it up and give it away as a gift. People will be glad to receive this home baked good!

Happy Holidays!

Caramel Popcorn

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp baking soda

2 cookie sheets lined in parchment paper

2-3 large mixing bowls

Posted in: caramel, Christmas Baking, popcorn