Best Seller Caramel Corn

Lennie's Note:

When I used to regularly do Christmas craft shows, I always sold this packaged up in Christmas tins; it was a big seller for me. My SIL always hoped it wouldn't sell well, though, so she could eat what didn't sell! Based on a Bonnie Stern recipe.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 8 cups popped popcorn (1/3 cup unpopped)

Directions:

1. When I make this recipe, it's the only time I haul out my hot-air popcorn popper; use 1/3 cup popcorn to achieve the 8 cups of popped corn.
2. Preheat oven to 275F; have ready a jelly roll pan.
3. Place popped corn in a very large bowl.
4. In a large, heavy saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar, butter and corn syrup and bring to a boil; let boil for two minutes, stirring continuously.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Note that it is IMPORTANT to use a large saucepan, as this mixture will bubble up.
7. Add baking soda and vanilla to sugar mixture and combine well.
8. Pour this mixture over popped corn and combine, then spread mixture out onto jelly roll pan.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, stirring well every 10 minutes.
10. Let cool before eating.

Reviews

[KittyBCM]

Absolutely delicious! I drizzled on some melted semisweet chocolate and will be giving this in gift baskets to family. I don't know if it is just my stove, but be careful heating the caramel mixture on high--it boiled way too quickly (before the butter even melted, even though I was stirring rapidly.) I will heat over med/med high next time.

[Suzie_Q]

This was great! It it way better than any store bought caramel popcorn I have ever had. After reading reviews I decreased the heat in my oven to 225 since my oven runs hot and only left it in the oven for about 25 minutes, stirring it about 4 times in that time. Also I used 10 cups of popped popcorn and probably next time will use more since it is still pretty heavily coated. All in all this is delicious and I will be making it often I'm sure!

[kaurorac]

This recipe is EXCELLENT! It was very easy and does it ever taste good! I made it twice, the first time forgetting about the baking soda and vanilla and it STILL turned out. The second time I didn't forget those two ingredients but also added a smidgen of salt. You gotta try this one!! Instead of the two minute marker, I measured with a candy thermometer to 250 and then dumped the caramel onto the popcorn. This is also easy to double - I used a turkey roasting pan in place of the jellyroll pan and turned my warm caramel corn onto a Silpat to cool.