Caramel Corn
A young lady from our youth group made these for a snack one night and I asked her for the recipe as they were a hit with the youth My kids love them
A young lady from our youth group made these for a snack one night and I asked her for the recipe as they were a hit with the youth My kids love them
- Carbohydrate 115.06390609443 g
- Cholesterol 61.06 mg
- Fat 23.236975 g
- Fiber 0.5075 g
- Protein 0.811843333482839 g
- Saturated Fat 14.608497 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (151g)
- Sodium 204.487027812662 mg
- Sugar 114.55640609443 g
- Trans Fat 1.689253 g
- Calories 650 calories
Step-by-step
- Put first 3 ingredients in pot and boil.
- Add vanilla, then popcorn.
- Form into balls.
- Let cool on waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
The ingredient list hides the high-heat chemistry occurring inside the pot. Combining brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter creates a concentrated syrup that undergoes a strict phase change as moisture evaporates. When boiling this mixture, moisture leaves the solution until the sugar concentration reaches the hard-ball stage, roughly 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Without reaching this thermal threshold, the sugar retains too much water, leaving the popcorn soggy instead of structurally sound for molding.
Mastering the Boil and Shape
Use a heavy-bottomed three-quart saucepan to distribute heat evenly and prevent scorching the dairy solids in the butter. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture reaches a rolling boil, then stop stirring to avoid unwanted crystallization. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract quickly before dumping in the popcorn, as the alcohol flashes off instantly. Grease your hands lightly with neutral oil before handling the mixture while it remains hot enough to shape into dense spheres. Place the formed balls onto wax paper on a sheet pan to set.
- If the mixture hardens too fast in the pot before shaping, return it to low heat for 30 seconds to restore plasticity.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container with a piece of parchment between layers to prevent humidity absorption over a three-day window.
