Nutty (or Not) Caramel Corn
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
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Ingredients
  • 8 cups popped corn (about 1/2 cup unpopped; air popped is fine)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, margarine, or Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Stick (see NOTES)
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup roasted and lightly salted peanuts or mixed nuts (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200°F.
  2. Pop corn in a regular popcorn popper or air popper. Scoop popcorn out of popper or bowl and place in a large roasting pan (such as a turkey roaster), sifting out any unpopped kernels.
  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter or butter substitute, corn syrup, and salt. If using butter or margarine, bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. If using Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, see NOTE. Remove pan from heat and add baking soda. Stir thoroughly until frothy. If using peanuts, stir them into the hot caramel mixture.
  4. Working quickly while mixture is still warm, scrape out of pan and onto popcorn. Stir to coat. To avoid breaking kernels when stirring, use a wooden spoon, or stir very gently with a spatula or metal spoon.
  5. Place in oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 5 minutes, then stir once more to break up any large clumps of popcorn. When finished with the pans and utensils, soak in warm water for easier cleaning.
  6. Store cooled caramel corn in sealed bags or airtight containers. Keeps 2 weeks or longer.
Note
If using Earth Balance Vegan Buttery sticks, stir the caramel mixture constantly, bring just to a boil, and take it off heat immediately when it begins to boil. Boiling more than a second or two damages the flavors, so watch it very carefully. Also, note that the baking soda may not make the mixture frothy when you stir it in, and the coating might be slightly grainy, but it will still be good.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 cup. Calories: 182; Fat: 11g; Saturated fat: 4g; Carbohydrates: 20g; Sugar: 10g; Sodium: 158mg; Fiber: 2g; Protein: 4g; Cholesterol: 15mg.
Recipe by Eileen’s Everyone Eats Right™ at https://everyoneeatsright.com/2012/12/11/caramel-corn-holiday-gatherings-gift-giving/