Fast or Fancy

Caramel Popcorn

Prep: 5m

Cook: 70m

Servings: 6

A crunchy, sweet classic.

—Ingredients—

Fancy

  • 85g / 10c of popcorn
  • 180g brown sugar
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar or lemon juice (optional)
  • 85g butter, warm
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

—Method—

Fancy Method
  1. Pop the popcorn, remove un-popped kernels, and put in a roasting or casserole pan. (See notes.)
  2. Make the caramel.
    • Add the brown sugar, cream of tartar if using, and 2 tbsp water to a pot and heat on medium-low until it melts.
    • Add the warm butter. The caramel will froth up, which is normal.
    • Heat until 240F. (About 2 minutes after frothing.)
    • Remove from heat and quickly stir in the baking soda.
  3. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and gently mix to coat.
  4. Bake at 200F for an hour, stirring every 20m.

—Notes—

  • The best way to remove un-popped kernels is to pour the popcorn over a baking rack; the un-popped kernels fall through.
  • You can use two sheet pans instead, though you may want to mix in the caramel in a bowl (step 3) and then transfer.
  • Although not strictly necessary, the acid in the cream of tartar helps prevent crystallization. A splash of lemon juice will also work.
  • Unusually, I prefer to use salted butter here. If using unsalted add 1/2 tsp salt with the butter.
  • There is actually a variety of popcorn (“mushroom”) specifically designed for flavorings, having a spherical shape.
  • Unnecessary trivia: A popped kernel of corn is called a “flake,” and an unpopped kernel is an “old maid.”

—Serving Ideas—

  • Nuts
  • Bacon
  • Fruit

Next time: try 70g for more complete coat

Double check temp. (225F smooth flow, 240 thicker coating)

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