I cooked some sugar.
I cooked some sugar and poured it over salted popcorn.
Holy moly. Hot sugar.
I need to talk to you about hot sugar.
I need to tell you that hot sugar on you hand… not cool… at all. Hot sugar on salted popcorn is a dream come true.
If you can’t already tell, I burned myself while making this popcorn… for breakfast. Don’t judge. The burn was totally worth it.
I learned the value of a giant bowl of ice water in the making of this popcorn. I’m just sayin…
Here’s how to cook some sugar and make it even more delicious. Just be careful.. k?
It all starts out innocently enough. Sugar. Water. Heat.
After ten minutes of cooking, the sugar is looking like a lean mean sugar bubblin’ concoction.
Twenty minutes. Watchyoself.
My sugar took about 25 minutes to reach this lovely shade of amber. And then it burned the heck out of me. Sad and true…
and worth it.
Homemade Caramel Corn
makes about 6 cups
adapted from foodnetwork.com
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup roasted almonds
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on how salty you like your life
bowl of ice water
This recipe requires that you work quickly and carefully. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. ok?
First, make the popcorn. Place oil in a medium to large saucepan over medium high heat. Add one kernel of corn and cover pan. When the single kernel pops, add the 1/2 cup of unpopped popcorn and cover. Use a pot holder to lightly shake the pan as the corn pops. When the popping stops, turn of the heat, remove the pot from the burner and shake the popcorn into a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of sea salt… depending on how salty you like your popcorn. Set popped popcorn aside.
Prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside. If you get any hot sugar syrup on your body. Ouch. Stick it in ice water… fast.
Measure out the butter, vanilla extract, nuts and salt. Set aside. In a medium saucepan add the sugar. Pour the water into the pan with the sugar, but pour the water towards the side of the pan… not directly on top of the sugar. Mark an X with your finger through the sugar and water.
Place saucepan over medium-high heat and let cook. Swirl the pan every few minutes Swirl, don’t stir. The sugar and water will cook down and bubble and slowly begin to caramelize. The process takes 20-30 minutes of cooking and swirling. Be patient but keep an eye on it. At the 20 minute mark, you’ll begin to smell caramelization. When the sugar reaches a caramel color, remove from the heat. Add the butter and vanilla extract. The mixture will bubble up. Give it a few good swirls.
Working quickly and carefully pour the hot caramel mixture over the popcorn. If any hot caramel gets on your skin, immediately immerse in the bowl of ice water. Ouch! With two spatulas stir until most of the popcorn is covered in hot caramel. Carefully pour out onto a silpat or foil lined sheet pan. Break up any large clumps with the spatula, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt and let come to room temperature.
{ 81 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been waiting for you to post something like this!! Thank you. Tonight is popcorn night!
I have seen caramel popcorn popping up everywhere! Just last week I made tropical caramel popcorn, which was fantastic.
Sorry about your burn, I have a feeling your caramel popcorn took your mind off of it though!
Joy, this looks gorgeous. The weather here is starting to cool and today is boring, grey and rainy. I think this will be perfect for spending the afternoon watching reruns of Gilmore Girls! And I hear you in regard to hot sugar on hand. Not cool. Mine was hot sugar on end of finger after I decided to poke it. Seriously… what the heck?!?
I’ve been craving caramel corn lately! This looks so delicious.
Oh man this looks so yummy, I may need to make this for the kids tonight.
Caramel corn is my favorite!! This looks perfect!
Popcorn Party For One is happening SO VERY SOON! Thanks sister .. Looks Amazing.
That looks 100% awesome! Isn’t it funny how the simplest things can look (and taste) so delish?!
I am making your Poppy seed cake with blueberry glaze for my son’s girlfriend’s birthday dinner tomorrow night. Can’t wait to cut into it. It was very easy to mix. Thanks for sharing!!!!
How timely. A friend and I were just talking about having caramel popcorn for dinner. Thanks!
When I burn myself I always end up sitting on the ground sulking, wishing someone would come give me sympathy and burn cream. While I can’t help with the burn cream (only parents own burn cream) I can give you sympathy. There there joy, have some popcorn, it’ll make you feel better, promise.
sorry about your hand. I’m gonna have to try that – minus the burn
It’s like you read my mind – I need some caramel corn for breakfast tomorrow! Burns, not so much. I tend to get enough of those already.
I’ve heard that’s the nastiest burn ever. So sorry you had that happen…but so glad it rewarded you in the end. :)
Take care, and don’t let it get infected! *hugs*
I just made this and my caramel got all gritty as soon as I put it on my popcorn. What gives?
Hot sugar equals napalm for sure -but thank you so much for sharing the end result! Always keep an aloe plant in your kitchen for future burnings.
How many war wounds you must have! I LOVE popcorn – and I LOVE caramel – and I LOVE anything HOMEMADE that most people never dream of making themselves. THanks for sharing – this looks like a great breakfast!
This looks fabulous and I must try it, soon! Thanks for sharing.
I heard a story from an ER worker that may make you feel better about your burned hand:
1.Flaming roasted marshmallow on a stick.
2. Kid shaking stick to put out the flame.
3. Flaming marshmallow soaring through the air meets innocent bystander’s eyeball.
4. Got cornea?
I used to make this for gifts. I’m going to try it again, thanks for sharing the recipe!
Looks yummy. I made some at Christmas to give as gifts but the recipe I used (off the bag) required less cook time, some brown sugar and baking at a low temp for about 20 minutes. It looks the same as yours but your recipe sounds much easier so I’m going with yours next time! Thanks.
saw this recipe and had to visit. this looks so good i will have to try it. thanks for posting
looks delish! and my kids will love it :D
Take care of that burn!
Sure does sound like an amazing breakfast…!
x
How dare you make me hungry at 1:30am. And, the best I can do is a Snickers Bar. Hmmmm….
Sorry about the burn. I feel your pain, Joy. Been there, done that…one week ago. Was baking some raspberry kolachki’s and when I pulled them out of the oven, some of the raspberry pastry filling found the skin on my hand and wouldn’t let go! OUCH! That hurt like Hell. See, bad things do happen to good people. But, like your popcorn, my cookies tasted delicious! It was worth it!
No pain, no gain!
I guess that’s the caramel corn you wanted delivered last week! Take care of that burn!
I am not a huge fan of popcorn but I am of the other ingredients. Maybe I can try it on puffed something else…
yum. i like popcorn. why havent i had popcorn in such a long time? need to change that… i think this is probably especially nice because you used salted popcorn. what did you use those nuts for though? ;) did you toast and toss’em in the caramel too? coz that would also be nice. its early in the morning and im not making much sense, haha. will have to have coffee now. maybe with a bit of salted peanut brittle… for breakfast. dont judge! ;)
This looks sooo good, I love any kind of popcorn! Had me cracking up with the hot sugar though, that is definitely the worst…
Oh gosh, that looks sooo good. I would have needed it in the cinema yesterday when I watched Alice in Wonderland.
carmel corn for breakfast? brilliant!
Hi Joy!
Thanks for all the joyful recipes! I’ve made quite some of them and put smiles on all family members and some neighbours too!
Just a little tip, when you burn any pretty part of your body a simple kitchen ingredient cures the burnt skin with magic… Honey! Surprised? I was too… but it worked wonders!!
just smear it over the burn skin and cover if needed…
Okay, I had oral surgery this week, so caramel corn is a no-no, but I guess I’ll make it for my son, and just sample out the caramel parts. or, just eat some and not tell my dentist.
Yummy! Sorry about the burn but so glad you are honest to share with us which will hopefully prevent potential injuries to us readers. Be Well.
I still make your Kettle Corn for my kids all the time and we love it! Can’t wait to try this, guess I will have to keep the small ones away from the stove for this one. Don’t want any burnt fingers.
Thank you for posting this! I’ve been hunting for a simple caramel corn recipe for a while, and you found it for me! Thank you! (And sorry about your burn. Burns suck.)
I’m afraid of hot sugar for some reason. I keep wanting to try caramel items (and this one beats the rest, hands down burned or not) but I just haven’t gotten past buying a candy thermometer. Can you come over to walk me through it?
I have been seeing quite a few of these caramel corn recipes popping up on other blogs, trying to tell me something?? I think so, will make this SOOON, anne
wow! Looks amazing! Definitely using this for my next movie night!
So sorry about your burn. :( I hope it gets well soon. Can’t wait to try this yummy recipe! Can you also make the caramel popcorn balls with this recipe??
Awesome. Caramel corn is one of my all-time favorites, and I’ve been looking for a recipe that doesn’t involve having to bake it. So, I will definitely try this.
I’ve been lucky enough to never receive a burn from hot molten sugar and I hope my luck never runs out! I love anything popcorn and this looks delicious!
YUM!!! One of my absolute favorites! And even better…a wonderful mix of salty and sweet! Sorry to hear about your burn – sending you good thoughts to heal quickly!
i burnt my hand today too – however it was in a non-hot sugar related incident. your popcorn looks delicious. Yum yum!
I was just today driving home from beautiful Monterey, CA and sharing a small bag of Fat Free Caramel from Trader Joe’s which I thought was good although I was missing the nuts and reminiscing with my friends about Cracker Jacks. What to my wondering eyes should appear but this wonderful recipe with NUTS. Yum! I will make and I will have the ice at hand. I’m a burnee-type! Thanks Jo!
For Halloween, I add red food coloring and chili powder, then call it Sweeney Todd popcorn.
Never made it on my own, but I LOVE caramel corn. Looks fabulous.
Outsch! I once made Florentines, and was silly enough to dip my finger into the melting caramel to see if it tasted right! Baaaaaad idea! Blistering bad! Hope yours was just a red-finger burn! :)
I love caramel corn. This is such an easy recipe. Thank you.
So sorry about the burn! The last time I burned myself that bad was when I tried wiping up some hot glue with my finer. Stupid I know, but what can I say? Anyway, I’m kind of wondering what marking an X in the sugar/water is all about? Does it have something to do with keeping down sugar crystals, or am I reading too much into it?
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