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Menu Planning & Recipes

Baked Caramel Corn

Servings: 24 cups
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1 c. butter
  • 2 c. brown sugar
  • ½ c. light corn syrup
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla
  • 1 c. popcorn kernels (to make 6 quarts popped)
  • ¾ lb. Spanish peanuts
  • Cooking spray

Directions:

  1. Spray a large roaster pan with cooking spray; turn the oven to 250 degrees F. A smooth pan works best otherwise caramel will get stuck in the crevices.

  2. Air pop the popcorn. Add each batch of popped corn to the roaster pan until the full cup of kernels is popped. Keep popped corn hot by keeping it in the oven. Discard unpopped kernels as needed.

  3. In a medium sauce pan melt butter over medium heat, using a wire whisk stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil.

  4. Continue boiling WITHOUT STIRRING for 5 minutes. CAREFUL: this may require turning down to medium-low in order to avoid boiling over.

  5. Remove from heat, add soda and vanilla WHILE STIRRING QUICKLY. The caramel will foam up when these ingredients are added, so work quickly.

  6. Stir in peanuts until coated, and pour caramel mixture over the popcorn, stirring until all the corn in coated.

  7. Bake in 250 degree oven for one hour, STIRRING EVERY 15-minutes to ensure the caramel is evenly distributed.

  8. Remove from oven and cool completely. If you stir it a few times while it’s cooling the corn will stay loose (instead of cooling into a “brick” that you’ll need to break apart). Enjoy!

Nutrition: (Serving size: 1 cup)
calories
: 269       protein: 4.7g           total carbohydrate: 31.4g      total fat: 15g
sugars
: 19.6g       sodium: 187mg         dietary fiber: 2.4g         saturated fat: 6g