MY MOM'S CARAMEL CORN

Like I said, this was the second year that we have given away homemade caramel corn at The National Stationery Show and it is the biggest hit. I sometimes wonder if I should go into the caramel corn business. Anyways, as I still try to get back on schedule here, I am going to share this recipe with you. It's simple, but I will say that it takes some experience to get it just right. If you don't hit the nail on the head the first time you make it, try again. How great would it be to have this at a kid's birthday party or a 4th of July gathering?

Ingredients:

2 bags buttered microwave popcorn
1 stick of butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
1/4 cup of light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup peanuts

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pop the popcorn and take out any un-popped kernels. I do this by sifting the popcorn through my fingers. Then spread it out in the deepest baking pan you have. A turkey pan or a lasagna pan will work.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and corn syrup. Turn up the heat and whisk everything together as it starts to bubble. You need to stay in the whisking, bubbling stage for at least 5 minutes to get the caramelization.

3. Once everything has been bubbling for 5 minutes and the mixture is getting a little volume to it, it should start to take on a very light color, almost white. Once you reach this stage, turn off the heat. Whisk in the baking soda and immediately pour over the popcorn. There are no points for design here, just slop it on.

4. Pour the peanuts over the caramel and place it in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take a wooden spoon and stir it all together until you feel that all the popcorn is evenly coated. Then pop it back in the oven for 5 minutes.

5. When it's done, we pour it out onto a counter covered with tin foil and make sure to separate the pieces here.

6. Let cool and then eat!

Notes: The only real place you can mess this up is either not cooking the caramel long enough or cooking it too long. If you under cook it, your popcorn will taste like it has sugar on it and it will be difficult to get it to cover all the popcorn. If you over cook it, it will taste burnt. Like I said, practice really does make perfect and oh is it perfect when you do it right.

**Image via Tummy 2 Mummy**