Homemade Caramel Corn! OH! SO DELICIOUS!

"...give me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks..."  Oh yes, caramel corn...I really enjoy

the dark, sweet, crunchy, coated popcorn with the contrasting salty peanuts.  My husband and I were watching the Texas Rangers baseball game on television and I had an urge for some caramel corn, but I didn't want to get in the car and drive to the store. Especially on the Labor Day holiday. Nope...not happening!

I scoured the internet for caramel corn recipes. I finally found one that I thought I could make AND with the ingredients that I already had in my pantry.

Thankfully, I enjoy baking, cooking, and candy making. I have all the utensils, tools, and equipment for this impromptu candy craving. I checked the recipe and double checked my pantry for all the ingredients.  This recipe requires basic staples that most people have in their kitchen.

I made up a batch and, to my surprise, it turned out practically perfect!!!!! (I messed up and forgot to filter out the unpopped kernels). After the caramel corn had completely cooled, I bagged up individual bags (in zipper sandwich bags) to prevent me from eating the entire batch in one sitting.  It is just that good!  I hope you have the success I had on your first try, too!  Happy eating!

Ingredients for popcorn:

• 2 large bags of microwave popcorn (Plain... don't use any flavored popcorn, example: movie theater with heavy butter flavor, or kettle corn; Use the most plain kind of popcorn you can find.) Follow package directions for popping. Or you can pop your own.
•  Pop your own:  1/2 cup unpopped kernels plus 2 Tablespoons popcorn oil. Follow directions on popcorn label for cooking.
• FILTER out as many of the unpopped kernels as possible before cooking the caramel...you'll be glad you did!

Ingredients for Caramel:

• 1 1/2 sticks butter (not margarine)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (if you don't have dark brown...use light brown sugar plus 2 tablespoons of molasses).
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• OPTIONAL ingredients (if you want to add some zing to your caramel corn, try one of the optional ingredients from this list): 2 tablespoons of maple syrup,  or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, or 1/4 teaspoon ginger...

Additional Supplies:

• Huge bowl that will hold 8 - cups of popped corn (I used two large bowls because I didn't have anything big enough).
• Wooden spoon
• Heavy, thick bottomed, 4 quart, non-stick sauce pan
• Candy thermometer (or you can try the timing method which might not turn out as well).
• 2 cookie sheets, lined with non-stick pads or parchment paper.

Directions for caramel sauce: READ THIS ENTIRE PROCESS BEFORE STARTING!!!!

1. Pop the corn, first, and set aside.
2. PREHEAT oven to 200f degrees.
3. Prepare your cookie sheets and set aside.
4. Measure out all the ingredients and have them ready for each step...DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!!!!!!
5. Attach the candy thermometer inside the pan. Make sure the thermometer does not rest on the bottom of the pan. It should be just so the base of the thermometer is in the hot liquid, otherwise you will get a false reading.
6. Melt the butter, in the sauce pan, over medium heat.
7. Add in the salt and dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar and molasses. ALSO, any optional liquid ingredients must be added here!), AND using the wooden spoon, stir continually...slowly to prevent the hot liquid from splattering...it is like hot lava and will burn skin on contact!!!!!!!!!
8. When the sugary liquid begins to bubble, turn up the heat to medium high and continue to stir UNTIL the candy thermometer reaches 250f degrees (between Soft Crack and Hard Crack)
9. Remove from the heat. SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY pour in the vanilla extract (It will bubble like mad...careful it is hot lava!) I used a hot pad on my stirring hand to protect me from the hot liquid.
10. Do this next step pretty quickly: Add in the baking soda plus any optional ingredient and QUICKLY STIR. (The liquid will get slightly foamy and lighter in color after the baking soda is added).
11. CAREFULLY and QUICKLY pour this hot liquid over the popcorn and stir it until all the popcorn and peanuts are coated. It will immediately start to thicken and get sticky...Just continue to stir;  there will be some white from the popcorn showing through and this is normal. It will be sticky...I used two wooden spoons and tossed it like a salad.
12. Dump equal portions of the caramel corn on both cookie sheets. Gently spread out the gooey caramel corn.
13. Place both cookie sheets of caramel corn in the oven. Let it bake at this low temperature of 200f degrees for 20  minutes.
14. Turn off the oven, DO NOT OPEN the door and let it sit in the oven until the oven is completely cooled. About 2 hours.
15. Remove from the oven and break it apart.
16. Serve immediately or store in zipper style baggies.

Original Recipe Link