I Did It! I Finally Did It! (Caramel Corn Success)

Remember my favorite kind of failure? It's caramel corn! I've attempted caramel corn 8 times and each time I failed miserably. Constantly my readers offered me recipes from their grandmothers and constantly I ignored them.

Well---two days ago I finally looked myself in the mirror and said, "SELF, pull yourself together and make caramel corn! Use a reader's recipe!"

I used Christine's recipe (sorry, Sara, I know you posted your grandmother's recipe first but Christine's was the first one I read when I went back in my archives.) It worked like a charm. I'll reprint it here using Christine's words:

Okay here goes. Never fail Caramel corn.

1 cup butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
6 quarts of Popped corn(use the kind labelled Mushroom popcorn)

Heat your oven to 250C. Melt the butter, stir in the corn syrup, sugar and salt. Bring the misture to a boil stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the soda and vanilla (Careful! it foams!). Pour over the popped corn and mix well. Spread the coated corn into large cake pans and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let it cool and eat! You can add peanuts or any other nuts if you like. Trust me on this one. Would my Grandma lie to you?

No she wouldn't!

I halved the recipe because that recipe would've made too much. It's interesting to note that when you add the baking soda and vanilla the consistency becomes very strange--it almost looks like caramel shaving cream. Be not alarmed. I'd also note that it pays to stir well and when it cools try to keep it from forming flat clots on the bottom. Here's my finished product:

Delicious looking, no? Thanks Christine! Or, rather, thank your grandma!