What's Cookin' Wednesday

I made caramel popcorn this week to take to a dinner as a hostess gift, yum! I made more today for US to eat! My recipe is from memory; I've been making it for years.

Caramel Corn

• air pop 1 cup popcorn (air popping makes this a healthy dish, right??!!)
  
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light (dark works, too) corn syrup
  
• 2 sticks butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (do not omit, ask me how I know!)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2) I pop my corn into my turkey roasting pan and place it in the oven to stay warm while I make the sauce.
3) Heat the sugar, syrup, butter and salt in a 3 quart saucepan. (You need the larger pan as the sauce bubbles up and is hot!) Heat over medium heat until it boils, stirring all the while. Now set the timer for 5 minutes and let it boil undisturbed. Remove from the heat and add the soda and vanilla; stir until the sauce is light and foamy. Drizzle over the popped corn and stir to coat fairly evenly.
4) Divide onto two cookie sheets and place in the oven in a semi-level fashion. "Toss" every 15 minutes for 45 to 60 minutes.

If you live in dry Colorado like I do, it will stay crisp on the counter, otherwise you will probably want to cover the finished corn after it cools to keep it crisp.

~ Robbie