Bacon Caramel Corn Food

BACON BOURBON CARAMEL POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 250º.
• Melt 1 cup of butter over medium heat. Mix in brown sugar, corn syrup and sea salt and then stir until boiling at the edges. Lower the heat slightly and let boil until the caramel is 250º. Remove from heat and add the baking soda and bourbon. Once fully incorporated, stir in the bacon.
• Divide the popcorn into two very lightly greased roasting pans and coat with the caramel. Mix well and then put the popcorn into the preheated oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, mixing every 10-15 minutes so the kernels of popped corn is coated in bourbon bacon coating.
• Once done, pour onto either parchment paper or wax paper to cool and break into pieces.
• Refrigerate.

BACON-CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250ºF.
• Spread popcorn onto 2 rimmed baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with bacon and nuts.
• Microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 3 min. or until caramels are melted and sauce is well blended, stirring every minute. Drizzle over popcorn.
• Bake 45 min., stirring every 15 min. Remove from oven; stir. Cool completely in pans, stirring occasionally to break up large pieces.

BACON CARAMEL POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Place popped popcorn in a very large bowl. Prepare 2 sheet pans with nonstick spray and line with aluminum foil.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, par-cook the bacon and render the bacon fat. Once the bacon has cooked, strain the bacon fat from the bacon pieces and reserve the fat. Transfer the cooked bacon pieces to paper towels and continue to drain the excess fat. Then add to popcorn.
• In the saucepan already used, add the butter and bacon fat (add more bacon fat as needed). Heat until the butter has fully melted.
• Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil and stir constantly. Continue to boil without stirring for 4 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.
• Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat evenly.
• Divide the mixture evenly between sheet pans and bake, stirring every 15 minutes for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.
• Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

CHOCOLATE CHIP, BACON AND CARAMEL CORN COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a paper-lined plate to cool, then finely chop. Set aside.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter together with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until it's nice and combined. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until smooth, scraping the bowl if necessary to make sure everything is incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, coffee granules, baking soda and salt. Stir together, then add it to the butter mixture in 3 increments, mixing on low after each until it's totally incorporated. Scrape the bowl and beat for a few more seconds.
• Crush 3 cups of the caramel corn in a bag with a rolling pin. Stir by hand into the dough with the chocolate chunks and chopped bacon. Crush the remaining 4 cups caramel corn and transfer to a work surface.
• Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of the cookie dough and roll into balls. Roll the balls in the crushed caramel corn, then place on the prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

BACON-WRAPPED "CARAMEL" CORN ON THE COB

Steps:

• Place each ear of corn on a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap it completely; brush with butter. Season with salt.
• Spread brown sugar evenly on a large plate. Roll buttered corn in brown sugar.
• Wrap 2 bacon slices around the length of each ear of corn. Wrap foil around corn, enclosing it completely.
• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Cook foil-wrapped corn over indirect heat, turning occasionally, until corn is tender and bacon is crisp, 35 to 45 minutes.

BACON-CARAMEL POPCORN BALLS

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a pan over medium heat until all the fat has rendered out, and all the pieces are well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer into a strainer set over a bowl to catch the excess grease. Let bacon cool to room temperature.
• Place popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Add cooled bacon and mix lightly until evenly distributed. Set aside until needed.
• Pour white sugar into a small saucepan and set over medium heat. As soon as the sugar begins to melt and turn clear around the edges, carefully shake and swirl the pan. Do not try to stir the sugar with a utensil! Just occasionally shake and swirl the pan, which will mix the still granulated sugar into the melted sugar.
• When almost all the sugar is melted, and the mixture is turning a light amber color, reduce the heat to low.
• Once all the sugar is melted, turn off the heat, and add cold butter cubes to the pan all at once. Carefully shake and swirl the pan until the butter melts into the sugar. Do not use a whisk yet.
• Add water and salt and use a whisk to mix until a smooth, thin caramel sauce forms. Some of the sugar may temporarily harden when you add the water, but just keep whisking until everything dissolves and you've achieved a smooth sauce. If it's not melting, turn the heat on low, and continue until it does.
• Remove from heat and quickly, but carefully, drizzle caramel sauce over the bacon and popcorn while tossing with a lightly buttered spatula. Continue tossing until the popcorn is evenly coated with the caramel.
• Lightly butter your hands, and as soon as the mixture has cooled down enough to stick together, form it into balls. Don't squeeze the balls too hard as you form them, or you will compress the popcorn and it will not be as light in texture. Transfer balls to a pan to cool completely.

BACON PEANUT CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Pre Heat Oven to 375. Lay bacon out on a baking sheet and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Reserve the rendered fat and set the bacon aside.
• Reduce the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large pot, place 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat and the popcorn. Put a lid or heat proof bowl on top (unless you want popcorn all over your kitchen). Cook over medium heat, shaking the pot intermittently until the popcorn slows to 1 pop every two or three seconds. Remove from heat and pour the popcorn into a bowl. (if you'd like to use air popped or microwave popcorn, that will work as well. Make sure it's a "natural" kind without the artificial butter flavor. 2 bags of microwave popcorn will give you more than enough for 8 cups.).
• Wipe out the popcorn pot, making sure there is residue and add the water, then the corn syrup and sugar. Cook on medium high heat, until the mixture turns a light amber color, about 6 to 8 minutes. You do not want to over cook the caramel.
• While the caramel cooks, spread the popcorn onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, or parchment paper (if using parchment paper, make sure it fully lines the baking sheet or the caramel corn will stick.).
• Sprinkle the peanuts evenly over the sheet. Crumble the cooled bacon over the popcorn and peanuts. You want the bacon to be in small pieces. Season the popcorn with a generous pinch of salt. (If you are using microwave popcorn that is salted, omit this step).
• Once the caramel is light amber, drizzle it evenly over the sheet of popcorn, scraping the pot with a heatproof spatula. Immediately stir the popcorn mix and caramel to coat. The caramel will start to harden and not fully coat everything, that's ok, you just want to get the process started.
• Place the sheet in the oven and bake for thirty minutes, stirring the corn every 8 to ten minutes. When you stir the corn, make sure to scrape the caramel off the silicone mat and turn it over to coat.
• Once fully coated, remove from the oven and break the clusters apart with a fork, or your hands.
• Let fully cool. Once cool the caramel corn will store for a week in an airtight container protected from humidity.

BACON AND CASHEW CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat popcorn and oil in covered heavy large pot over medium-high heat until kernels begin to pop. Using oven mitts, hold lid on pot and shake pot until popping stops. Pour popcorn into very large bowl. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until almost crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain; cool. Add bacon and cashews to bowl with popcorn. Sprinkle with coarse salt and cayenne; toss to coat.
• Bring cream and tea bag just to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; let steep 15 minutes, occasionally pressing on tea bag with back of spoon to release flavor. Discard tea bag.
• Line rimmed baking sheet with foil; coat with nonstick spray. Coat 2 wooden spoons or heat-resistant spatulas with nonstick spray; set aside. Stir sugar, 1/4 cup water, and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 13 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately add cream (mixture will bubble up). Stir until blended. Immediately drizzle caramel over popcorn mixture; toss with sprayed spoons until evenly coated. Transfer to sheet.
• Place caramel corn in oven and bake until caramel is shiny and coats popcorn, tossing mixture occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on sheet on rack, tossing occasionally to break up large clumps. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight in refrigerator.
• What to drink:
• The folks at Colt & Gray suggest The Derby, a classic cocktail made with bourbon, Bénédictine, and bitters.