Oven Caramel Corn
I made about a gazillion batches of this for the holiday season just past - SO good - keeps for weeks and it's naturally Gluten Free to boot! Great option when shipping gifts since it keeps so long! I put mine in a Ziploc bag then wrapped in cellophane with a pretty pattern - tied on a bow and a tag and it looked great!
8-9 quarts popped corn (air popped or made on the stove or even plain microwave style)
2 cups brown sugar
2 sticks butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt (optional)-I don’t use it and don’t miss it either!
1/2 cup corn syrup (clear kind like Karo syrup)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Boil all ingredients except popcorn and baking soda for 5 minutes, mixing well and stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and quickly stir in baking soda. Pour over popped corn, mix well. Be careful, it's hot and will burn your hands!
Put into two to three large pans, maybe even 4, so that you have a single layer on each (I lined mine with parchment paper) then bake in 200 degree oven for 1 hour, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool on waxed paper. Keeps for weeks in canister or Tupperware containers, but at our house it disappears quickly! You CAN burn this - original recipe called for cooking at 250 and I found this burned mine way before the hour was up but every oven is different!
If you wish you can also add some peanuts to this to make it similar to Cracker Jack.
I made about a gazillion batches of this for the holiday season just past - SO good - keeps for weeks and it's naturally Gluten Free to boot! Great option when shipping gifts since it keeps so long! I put mine in a Ziploc bag then wrapped in cellophane with a pretty pattern - tied on a bow and a tag and it looked great!
8-9 quarts popped corn (air popped or made on the stove or even plain microwave style)
2 cups brown sugar
2 sticks butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt (optional)-I don’t use it and don’t miss it either!
1/2 cup corn syrup (clear kind like Karo syrup)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Boil all ingredients except popcorn and baking soda for 5 minutes, mixing well and stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and quickly stir in baking soda. Pour over popped corn, mix well. Be careful, it's hot and will burn your hands!
Put into two to three large pans, maybe even 4, so that you have a single layer on each (I lined mine with parchment paper) then bake in 200 degree oven for 1 hour, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool on waxed paper. Keeps for weeks in canister or Tupperware containers, but at our house it disappears quickly! You CAN burn this - original recipe called for cooking at 250 and I found this burned mine way before the hour was up but every oven is different!
If you wish you can also add some peanuts to this to make it similar to Cracker Jack.