The main idea for Eat to the Beat is to share a recipe that reminds you of a song. You can post about it on your own blog, or just send Elly the recipe, photo and description. She will take all of the submissions and publish a full round up on her blog the day of her 5-year anniversary - November 30th. You can click here for more information and full instructions. But, hurry, the deadline is November 27th!
When we hosted the main course for our Progressive Dinner a few weeks ago, I wanted to serve homemade caramel corn as a party favor that also served as place cards at the table. At the last minute, I ditched my plans to make it homemade and decided to buy the caramel corn instead. It turned out very cute, but I was sorry that I offered my guests a store-bought version when homemade is so much better.
At first I thought it was the fault of the original recipe instructions, but during my second attempt, I figured out that I completely miscalculated the amount of popcorn I was using! I had only used 8 cups of popcorn when I should've used more than double that! Doh! My second attempt was perfect. I decided to halve the recipe this time (reflected below) but you can easily double it if you're planning to feed a large crowd.
After my successful attempt, I was even more sorry that I didn't make this for our Progressive Dinner, because it was so much easier than I ever thought it would be. Next time. For sure.
Caramel Corn
Ingredients
- 12 cups popped popcorn (either stove-top or microwave is fine)
- 1 cup brown sugar (light or brown)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line the bottom and sides of a large roasting pan or two baking sheets with greased foil. Place popcorn in a large heat-proof mixing bowl; set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Pour over the popcorn and stir to coat.
- Spread the coated popcorn evenly onto the lined roasting pan or baking sheets. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. It will become crispy within a few minutes out of the oven. Break into chunks and serve immediately, or store in a ziplock bag for a couple of days.
- Source: Adapted from Sing for Your Supper
Nutrition