Made Monday with Lulu the Baker
For some reason, I always associate caramel corn with Halloween. When I eat caramel corn, I think of harvest festivals and elementary school Halloween carnivals, with concession booths stacked high with bright candy apples and neatly arranged rows of paper bags filled with gooey caramel corn. I picture leaves blowing by on a crisp breeze, and children running and laughing, dressed as pirates, ghosts and princesses, and I think of bean bag tosses and hay mazes and cake walks and ring tosses and pure, unfettered delight. Caramel corn is a powerful thing, my friends.
Pumpkin Spice
caramel corn
12 cups popped popcorn
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
a pinch of salt (if using unsalted popcorn)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pour the popcorn into a large bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup over medium heat. Cook until the mixture comes to 234°F, or soft ball stage, on a candy thermometer. Remove caramel from heat, and whisk in vanilla and salt (if using). Whisk in baking soda. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and toss to coat. All caramel corn to cool to room temperature, then sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice. Again, toss to coat.
Peanut butter
caramel corn
12 cups popped popcorn
2/3 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup peanut butter
Pour the popcorn into a large bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine corn syrup and sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth. Pour peanut butter sauce over popcorn and toss to coat.
“Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze. ” ― Elinor Glyn