Yummy Baked Caramel Corn

Last night I made up one of my favorite treats: homemade caramel corn. I really can't resist it. If you are at all inclined towards caramel corn, you won't be disappointed. Here's the recipe, originally from the side of a Jiffy Popcorn bag. It seems too easy to be so delicious! It also keeps exceptionally well. Store in a ziplock bag or covered container.

Yummy Baked Caramel Corn

Preheat oven to 250*F. Coat bottom and sides of a large roasting pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray.

Pop via your preferred method:
Approx. 1 cup popcorn kernels

Add popped popcorn to roasting pan and remove “old maids” – the kernels that didn’t fully pop (these are hard on the teeth!).

In a heavy saucepan, slowly melt:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine (I have had success with both)

Stir into melted butter and bring to a boil, stirring constantly:
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup corn syrup
1 tsp. salt

Once at a boil, let it remain boiling – without stirring – for 5 minutes (I let it boil for 7 minutes at higher altitude).

Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in:
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Gradually pour the caramel over the popcorn, mixing well.

Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until popcorn reaches the consistency you like (I prefer chewy popcorn, so I only bake for 15 minutes). The longer you bake, the crunchier your caramel corn will be.

Remove from oven. Cool completely (if you can wait that long!). Break apart and enjoy! Note: You may also form the caramel corn into yummy popcorn balls. Do this before the corn cools much.