Caramel is an improvised version of the original hard-boiled candy that was made by the Americans using sugar and water way back in 17th century. Later the candy was modified with fat and milk products to transform the texture into a chewy one which is the present form of caramel. Caramel popcorn is one great combo of caramel with popcorn which is a very delicious dish. So, are you game for preparing it at your home, all on your own? These easy-to-follow instructions and tips will help you in accomplishing your task. Read on.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 60-75 minutes
Resources Required:
- A pot
- A wooden spoon
- A silicone spatula
- A candy thermometer
- A cookie sheet lines with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
- A few measuring cups and measuring spoons
- A large bowl and two small bowls
- 1 cup of brown sugar that is loosely packed
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 1/2 cup of light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- One bag of microwave popcorn
Instructions:
1. Preparing the popcorn
Put the microwave popcorn in the microwave for the requisite time. Check if the popcorn is ready.
2. Making the caramel
- Put your pot on a medium flame and add the butter, brown sugar and light corn syrup and keep stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Heat the sugary mix to a temperature of 250’F (the hard ball stage) and measure it with a candy thermometer by inserting it in the middle. Once the mixture has reached the desired temperature, switch off the heat.
- Then add vanilla but do so while stirring and then add the baking soda due to which the mixture will start to froth and raise but keep stirring nevertheless.
- Add the popcorn slowly and keep stirring and make sure that the popcorn is completely coated with the caramel mix. Stirring will gradually become tougher once the caramel starts cooling and hardening.
3. Baking the caramel popcorn
- Take the silicone spatula and put spoonfuls of the caramel popcorn on the cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper/baking mat.
- Preheat an oven for half an hour at 250’F and then turn it off. Then insert the popcorn tray in the hot oven and bake for 30 minutes. That will give the caramel popcorn extra crunch. Later on, cool the caramel popcorn and store in a container. Your caramel popcorn is ready to serve!
Frequently Asked Questions:
How long should I cook the sugar mix to have the right consistency?
You should use a candy thermometer and boil it to 250’F (the hard ball stage). If you overcook it then the caramel might be just too hard to work with.
Quick Tips:
1. For crispy caramel popcorn, do not forget to bake it in an oven at 250F for 30 minutes or so.
2. Do use a silicone spatula for putting the caramel popcorn mix on to the baking tray otherwise it will keep sticking to your wooden/metal spoon all the time.
3. If you do not have a candy thermometer, use a glass of cold water and put one drop of the sugar mix in it to see how hard it forms – and you will know whether it is hard enough or not.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Be careful while making the caramel, especially when you add vanilla and baking soda as caramel burns can be very dangerous.
- Also, make sure you take out any popcorn kernels to avoid damage to the teeth upon biting them.
