For many years, I catered a fundraising gala. Every year, after amazing entertainment, hundreds of attendees would leave the theatre and be greeted by tables and tables of baking; a mixture of traditional items and more “modern” desserts that could be eaten while standing and socializing.
One year while I was meeting with the organisers, I found out that the entertainer was a famous comedian and I thought it would be great to include a few “fun” items. One of those items was little cartons of Caramel Nut Corn – and it was a huge hit! That led me to making vats of this sweet popcorn treat to sell at a venue in the city during the events they held.
This is a scaled down version of the recipe, with the same results. After popping the popcorn and toasting the nuts (if you’re using them), you make a simple caramel sauce, mix everything together and then it goes into a low oven to dry out and crisp up. Once cooled, this will keep well in an airtight container for a couple of weeks – but it probably won’t last that long!
I’ve used all kinds of nuts, depending on what I had on hand. The batch in the picture includes pecans (my favorite), but I’ve included almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts. Use any combination you like! If nuts aren’t your thing, leave them out.
For a truly decadent treat, once the Caramel Nut Corn has cooled completely, drizzle with melted chocolate (white, milk, dark, rose, etc.).
Caramel Nut Corn
Crispy, sweet caramel coated popcorn (and nuts if you want!) makes a delicious snack.
Ingredients
• 1 cup nuts if your choice (almonds, pecans, peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.)
• 3 Tbsp. oil (avocado, canola, safflower, etc.)
• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels (or 10 cups popped corn)
salt to taste
Caramel:
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup golden corn syrup
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
• Preheat your oven to 350ºF / 175°C.
• Evenly spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast lightly for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside.
• Lower the oven temperature to 250ºF / 120°C.
• Add the oil to a large pot and swirl the pot until the bottom is evenly coated. Add the popcorn kernels, cover, and place over high heat. Shake the pot occasionally as the popcorn pops, removing the pot from the heat once the popping has slowed down to one pop every couple of seconds. Transfer the popcorn to a couple of baking sheets lined with parchment paper, removing any unpopped kernels. Lightly salt the popcorn and set aside.
• Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt to the pot that you used to pop the popcorn. Place over medium heat. As the butter melts, mix everything together and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer for about 4 minutes or until it reaches 250ºF / 120°C, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from the heat, then add the baking soda and vanilla and whisk in. Add the nuts and popped corn to the pot and use a mixing spoon to carefully mix together, distributing the caramel evenly. Be very careful – the caramel is hot!
• Divide the popcorn between baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 1 hour, stirring the popcorn every 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cooled, store in an air right container.
Pam's Kitchen 