Caramel Corn and Caramel Corn Snack Mix

I’ve made this for several years and really like the snack mix.  I didn’t have any rice chex or pretzels on hand and made the popcorn, too.  Still yummy!  Here is how to make your own batch of caramel corn.  Your house will smell wonderful.  This also makes a great base for future presents:  drizzle some melted chocolate and tie it up in a pretty bow, add some cinnamon or cardamom and create your own favorite gourmet popcorn, use popcorn and peanuts to combine and make your own Cracker Jack, etc.

**I would advise not using microwave popcorn.  1.  It is too salty usually for being used in this recipe.  2.  Those bags may or may not contain chemicals which have since been banned here.  But the companies have a few years to comply with the new law, so you don’t know if you are getting them or not.
** I would recommend Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn kernels.  I tried off-brands and they just didn’t seem to pop as well or as large.

**This gives a light coating of caramel.  If you like more coating on your popcorn and/or popcorn mix, then reduce the amount of popcorn or other add-ons.

Caramel Corn Snack Mix

8 cups popped popcorn (you can buy it, or cook it on the stovetop, or use an airpopper, or put 1/4 cup of kernels in a paper bag and nuke it for 2 min.)
4 cups oven toasted rice cereal squares (like Chex Mix)
2 cups miniature pretzel twists
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 Tb. molasses, optional
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

1.  Preheat oven to 300°F.
2.  Combine popcorn, cereal, pretzels and pecans into a large roasting pan or other large baking vessel.  Mix it all up.
3.  Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and optional molasses into a saucepan. Cook and stir with spoon over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil over entire surface. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook without stirring 5 minutes. (Mixture should continue to bubble gently over surface). Remove saucepan from heat. Quickly stir in vanilla and baking soda, stirring carefully. It will bubble violently and that is okay.
4.  Pour caramel over popcorn mixture in, stirring until well coated.  Put this mixture into a roasting pan or large cooking vessel.  My turkey roasting pan works the best for me.
5.  Bake 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Transfer popcorn mixture to large piece of parchment or silicone mats. Cool completely, breaking mixture into clusters as it cools.

Recipe adapted from Pampered Chef

Caramel Corn

15 cups popped popcorn
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 Tb. molasses, optional
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

1.  Preheat oven to 300°F.
2.  Pour popcorn into large bowl.
3.  Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and optional molasses into a saucepan. Cook and stir with spoon over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil over entire surface. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook without stirring 5 minutes. (Mixture should continue to bubble gently over surface). Remove saucepan from heat. Quickly stir in vanilla and baking soda, stirring carefully. It will bubble violently and that is okay.
4.  Pour caramel over popcorn mixture in, stirring until well coated.  Put this mixture into a roasting pan or large cooking vessel.  My turkey roasting pan works the best for me.
5.  Bake 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Transfer popcorn mixture to large piece of parchment or silicone mats. Cool completely, breaking mixture into clusters as it cools.