All caramel corn is not created equal.

Caramel popcorn.

Be still my heart. So yummy....so easy.... Not healthy....but a whole lot more healthy homemade then the crap bought in stores.



Recipe:
6 quarts of popped popcorn (3-4 bags of microwave stuff)
2 cups of brown sugar
2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup of corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pop all the popcorn and put in casserole dish or roasting pans. Set aside. You can use the prepackaged microwave stuff, but it doesn't take Orville Redenbacher to make the real deal. Buy the popcorn seeds and put in brown paper bag. Fold the bag shut and put in microwave, around 2-3 minutes. Listen to stop popping and that's it. So much healthier without added preservers and fake butter in prepackaged stuff.

Next melt butter in large pot over medium heat.

Add brown sugar.

Added tip! Put your measuring spoons in a cabinet, labeled, on hooks. Keeps them right where you need them. No digging!

Add corn syrup. Listen I said this isn't the healthiest snack but, it's much healthier than store bought caramel corn. And there's a difference between corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup (that's in the store bought stuff)

Bring to a boil. Stir, boiling, for 5 minutes.

 

 

Take off heat and add vanilla and baking soda. Ohhh and ahhh as magic happens.
(p.s. don't be tempted to stick your finger in to taste the lovely smelling substance. It's hot. You know, I don't know from experience.... I heard (*wink, wink*) from a friend)

Pour over popcorn. Stir in and then put in a 250 degree oven for 1 hour. Stir around about every 15 minutes to coat evenly.

Then remove from oven, cool, then attempt to not eat it all.
Better yet, hand out immediately to neighborhood children playing in snow.....

 

Or else, you may find yourself doing this........

Enjoy!

~Mommy in the 'Dale