Caramel Corn

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 120°C. Line a small baking tray or ovenproof dish with baking paper. Put the plain popped popcorn in a large mixing bowl, remove any unpopped kernels, and sprinkle over the salt so it distributes evenly.

2. 2

   In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the light brown sugar and light corn syrup, stirring until the sugar is evenly moistened. Once the mixture comes to a full boil, stop stirring and boil for 3 minutes; the bubbles should look thick and glossy. This helps the coating set crisp rather than grainy.

3. 3

   Take the saucepan off the heat. Immediately stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda. The caramel will foam up rapidly; this is normal and makes the coating lighter and easier to spread.

4. 4

   Pour the hot caramel over the popcorn and quickly fold with a spatula until the popcorn is as evenly coated as possible. Work gently to avoid crushing the popcorn, but move fast before the caramel starts to firm.

5. 5

   Spread the coated popcorn onto the prepared tray in an even layer. Bake for 12 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the caramel looks dry and glossy rather than wet. This short bake is enough for a small batch and keeps the recipe within time.

6. 6

   Remove from the oven and let the caramel corn cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then break apart any large clusters. Serve warm or at room temperature once crisped slightly.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •For the best texture, use freshly popped popcorn with as few unpopped kernels as possible.
• •If starting from kernels, pop about 35 g popcorn kernels to yield roughly 80 g popped popcorn; this will add a few minutes to the total time.
• •Do not overcook the caramel on the stove, or it can taste bitter.
• •Store completely cooled caramel corn in an airtight container for up to 3 days, though it is best on the day it is made.

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