Old Fashioned Molasses Caramel Corn Recipes

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES "CARAMEL" CORN

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 250 deg.
• Place butter in a medium pot, on medium heat.
• While the butter's melting, pop the corn and put it in a large roasting pan. I used a disposable aluminum pan and a hot air popper (you won't need to butter the pan).
• Keep an eye on the butter and add the sugar, molasses, and salt to it as soon as its melted.
• Bring the candy to a boil and stir and cook it only till the sugar melts and the butter blends in entirely - just a couple minutes.
• Turn off the heat and stir the vanilla and peanuts into the candy.
• Quickly add the baking soda and stir untill it's well mixed. It foams to make a lighter, more delicate candy.
• Pour the candy over the popcorn and toss untill it's evenly coated.
• Put the popcorn in the oven for 1 hour, tossing every 15 or 20 minutes.
• Let it cool completely before breaking up and putting into an airtight container.
• I developed this recipe by hacking others because I couldn't find another to suit me. I made this for Christmas treats and it was INHALED, you'll find it tastes like Cracker Jack; that candy is made with molasses, not corn syrup, I got a box yersterday to compare.
• You can easily double this, but double the baking time too.

OLD-FASHIONED CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• 1. Pop popcorn. Dump each batch into a large enamel roasting pan (turkey size) that has been treated with food release spray.
• 2. In a heavy 3 qt. saucepan melt the butter with the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Over medium heat bring the sauce to a hard, rolling boil. Boil 5 minutes.
• 3. Quickly stir in baking soda -- caramel will foam up.
• 4. Immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn. Mix carefully and thoroughly, until all kernels are coated.
• 5. Bake at 200* for 1 hour, stirring well every 15 minutes. If you like, you can stir in nuts at the last 15 min. Remove from oven. Cool and serve.
• 6. NOTES: You may use light or dark brown sugar, and light or dark corn syrup -- it changes the flavor, so experiment to find your favorite combination :) Store in another room -- it's hard to stop eating it!

OLD FASHIONED CARAMEL POPCORN

Steps:

• In a saucepan mix butter brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla and bring to a boil.
• Boil for 5 to 6 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda until the mixture has puffed up.
• Allow 1 minute to rest.
• Placed popped popcorn in a large baking dish.
• (I use my very large turkey roasting pan without the lid.) Pour mixture over popcorn and stir until well coated.
• Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.
• Stir well to make sure the bottom doesn't burn, Bake for another 10 minutes.
• Pour onto a large surface to cool.
• (I cut a green garbage bag in half and cover my dining room table with it before pouring out the popcorn onto it. It saves on clean up.) Break apart to serve.