Something Corny

Fall concurs up images of apple pie, pumpkin soup, and mulled cider. In the good old days, Halloween was filled with homemade treats like caramel apples and popcorn balls (which I remember being allowed to eat if I could identify which neighbor handed them out). These days, even knowing which neighbor provided the goodies doesn't mean you should eat them. At times I am saddened to live in our modern world. However, just because trick or treating isn't what it used to be doesn't mean we can't enjoy some of those wonderful eats at home. So, tonight I made caramel corn (which is the best of all worlds since it is both candy and popcorn), and boy is it delicious!

My mom and I spoke about making the stuff several days ago, and (luckily for me) she sent me a great recipe from Cooking.com which I promptly employed. This particular concoction filled the house with the aroma of caramelized sugar and tantalized the whole family while it was baking. Needless to say, once it came out of the oven and cooled down, everyone was johnny-on-the-spot to try a bite. One of the best parts of this recipe is that it makes enough caramel to generously coat the popcorn and nuts. Unlike some recipes I've seen that skimp on the coating in an effort to be healthier. My philosophy is that if you want to eat something good for you, you probably wouldn't choose caramel corn in the first place. Besides, it is better to eat less of something really fabulous than a lot of something that is merely adequate. Another great thing about this recipe is the glistening golden color which gives a visual cue of the buttery caramel taste it holds. I hope you'll try some of your own, because it is oh-so-much better than any caramel corn you'll ever buy. Really!

Caramel Corn (from Jeanne Thiel Kelly at Cooking.com)

Ingredients:

14 cups freshly popped popcorn (about 1 cup of kernels) - I used one large and one individual microwave bag to get this amount.

9.5 ounce container of select mixed nuts (roasted and salted) - These were really expensive so I bought the kind that has some peanuts too, which are still great coated in caramel.

2 cups (packed) light brown sugar

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter - Use the real stuff here. It makes a huge difference in taste.

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.

2. Butter a large metal bowl and two metal forks and have ready two large ungreased cookie sheets. (I don't have a metal bowl, but a large melamine mixing bowl worked just as well. In addition, I just sprayed the utensils with non-stick cooking spray rather than buttering everything. Finally, I lined the cookie sheets with aluminum foil for easy clean-up later.) Place the popcorn and nuts in the bowl and keep warm in the oven. (I didn't put mine in the oven since I wasn't using an oven-proof bowl, and it didn't seem to affect the recipe at all.)

3. Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a large, heavy saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium high and boil without stirring until the mixture reaches 255 degrees on a candy thermometer. (If you don't have a candy thermometer, this is the low end of hard ball stage of a cold water test, which is how I gauged it readiness. Keep an eye on it though, because this candy went from soft ball to hard ball within a couple of minutes.)

4. Remove from heat; immediately add the baking soda (mixture will bubble up) and stir until is thoroughly mixed. Quickly, pour the caramel over the popcorn and nuts. Use the forks to coat everything equally. Divide the mixture between the two cookie sheets. Bake the caramel corn for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool. Break into pieces and store in an air-tight container. (Most of all, enjoy eating this yummy taste of fall!)