Bacon Peanut Caramel Corn Food

PEANUT CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Place popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; set aside., In a large heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, , molasses, butter and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 2-3 minutes without stirring., Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and baking soda (mixture will foam). Quickly pour over popcorn and mix well., Transfer to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 250° for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from pan and place on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container.

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.

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.

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.

CARAMEL CORN WITH PEANUTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Spray two rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine popcorn and peanuts. In a medium saucepan combine butter, sugar, molasses, and salt over medium high until butter has melted. Stir once to combine. Bring mixture to a boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda.
• Working quickly, add caramel to popcorn and peanuts and stir to coat. Transfer mixture to 2 baking sheets, spread out evenly, and bake until crisp, 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Let cool completely. Break into clusters.

CARAMEL CORN (WITH PEANUTS)

Steps:

• Place popped popcorn in two very large bowls.
• Mix 1/2 pound peanuts into each bowl.
• In 5 quart sauce pan combine all the other ingredients.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat, boil for 5 minutes(no less) stirring constantly.
• Evenly distribute the syrup between the two bowls and stir until well coated.
• Turn coated popcorn into a large roasting pan.
• Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour.
• Remove and break apart while still warm.
• Store in air tight containers.

CLASSIC CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Spray large shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. I used my butter wrappers instead of spraying. Add popcorn and place in preheated 250 degree oven while preparing caramel.
• Mix brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, butter, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. I skipped the salt because I was using salted popcorn, but your personal preference here. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Boil 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla and mix well.
• Pour syrup over warm popcorn and stir evenly to coat.
• Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and spread on foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (I skipped the cooking spray here too).
• Cool and break apart. Store in tightly covered container. (I think the purpose of the tightly covered container is so you can't open and eat it as quickly).

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-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.