Ultimate Caramel Popcorn Food

ULTIMATE CARAMEL CHOCOLATE POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°. Place popcorn and nuts in a greased roasting pan; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir 5 minutes. , Remove from heat; stir in baking soda (mixture will foam). Quickly pour over popcorn and mix well., Transfer to two greased 15x10X1-in. baking pans. , Bake 1 hour or until dry, stirring every 15 minutes., In a microwave, melt each chocolate separately, adding 1 teaspoon shortening to each 1/2 cup chips; stir until smooth. Drizzle over popcorn mixture; let stand until set., Break into clusters. Store in an airtight container.,

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL POPCORN

Steps:

• Pop the popcorn. I like to use a hot-air popper but you can pop it any way you like.
• To make the caramel: Place the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until light golden brown. We use a large pan so that there will be room to add the popcorn. Use a wooden spoon to stir the popcorn into the caramel until it is evenly coated. Pour the caramelized popcorn onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow it to cool. When cool, use your hands to break up any clumps.
• Place the cool popcorn in a large bowl. Use a ladle to drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn, stirring with a wooden spoon as you go. Keep adding chocolate until the popcorn is evenly coated. Pour the chocolate-coated popcorn onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow it to cool. When it is cool, place it in decorative bags to give as gifts.
• Tip: You can also use milk chocolate and/or white chocolate to coat the popcorn. The process is always the same.
• Be careful when you work with the caramel. It is very hot and can burn! As always, when working with caramel, have a bowl of ice-cold water next to you in case you get caramel on your hands.

BEST EVER CARAMEL POPCORN

Steps:

• Mix margarine, sugar, syrup, and salt in pot. Bring to boil on medium heat, and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and add baking soda. Stir until foamy throughout.
• Pour over popcorn, and mix well.
• Spread evenly on cookie sheet, and bake at slow 200°F oven for 1 hour. This last baking step ensures crispy popcorn. Enjoy!

ULTIMATE CARAMEL POPCORN

Steps:

• Set your oven to 200 degrees. Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, and set aside. Also spray a large (very large works best) metal or ceramic mixing bowl with non-stick cooking spray.
• Pour the popcorn into the mixing bowl you just sprayed, and put it in the oven to warm. Warming the bowl and the popcorn up beforehand helps with getting an even coating with the caramel when stirring it into the popcorn later.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the molasses, corn syrup, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Once the mixture starts bubbling, set a timer and let it cook for 4 minutes, stirring occassionally.
• Once the 4 minutes is up, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will foam and lighten up. Stir until blended.
• Pull the mixing bowl with the popcorn out of the oven. Slowly stir the caramel into the popcorn. I find a rubber spatula works best for this. Carefully keep stirring until the popcorn is evenly coated. Do be careful, the caramel is really hot! At this point, you can stir in any add-ins you might like, sprinkles, nuts, etc.
• Pour onto the greased cookie sheet and spread out evenly. Bake for 1 hour at 200 degrees, carefully stirring every 15 minutes.
• Once done, pour back into a large mixing bowl. The caramel popcorn will still be stightly tacky. Stir the caramel corn for about 5 minutes or so while it cools, to break up large clumps.

CARAMEL POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Generously butter heavy large baking pan. Mix warm popcorn and peanuts in prepared pan. Place in oven while preparing syrup.
• Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until thermometer registers 255 degrees F, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, salt and baking soda (mixture will bubble). Gradually pour syrup over popcorn and nuts completely.
• Bake until caramel feels dry, stirring frequently, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Using metal spatula, scrape mixture from bottom of pan to loosen. Cool completely in pan. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)