[Sca-cooks] Oven Caramel Corn was Virtual Cookie Exchange

Johnna Holloway johnnae at mac.com
Mon Nov 23 09:31:09 PST 2009


Ok it's not a cookie but it is a nice treat and I'll get the ball  
going on our virtual treat/cookie recipe exchange.

Oven Caramel Corn

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup or 2 sticks butter
half cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
one half teaspoon vanilla can be added
one cup nut meats - optional

6 plus quarts popped popcorn (air popped is best). Be sure and remove  
all the un-popped
kernels and duds from the popped popcorn.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
Prepare two to three baking pans or large cookie sheets by lightly  
greasing or oiling them. Set aside.

Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt and bring to boil in  
a large pot. Boil for five minutes. remove from heat and add the soda.  
Another version says to cook until it bubbles constantly. Keep stirring.

Be careful- the mixture will boil or foam up when the hot syrup meets  
the baking soda.
(This is why you need a large pan.)
Add the optional flavoring and nuts.

Stir in the popped popcorn and mix well. Ladle the caramel popcorn  
onto the baking sheets
or into the prepared pans.

Bake at 200 degrees for one hour. Stir every 15 minutes to break up  
large clumps. You might want to shift the pans around in the ovens to  
allow them to bake evenly.

Let cool. Store in plastic containers or tins to keep crisp.

The recipe came from an Illinois Women's Club Cookbook to raise money  
to help CURE Leukemia.
No date but I'd guess 1967 or 1968, maybe 1966. Front cover is  
missing; this is my mom's copy.

(I think Women's Clubs have been gone for a generation.)

----
Growing popcorn is something of an Illinois tradition or used to be.  
Putting in a row or two of popcorn along with the sweet corn, was  
something,
one did on the farm. So then you'd have popcorn to cook over the  
winter months. A frugal treat in the evenings. The original recipe  
used to call for two sticks oleo, but I think I would use butter these  
days.

I came across this one tip which I will share--

"When making homemade carmel corn, try this! Wash your kitchen sink  
very well, I even spray it with a little rubbing alcohol and dry with  
a clean towel. Then cover your drain stopper with about 3 layers of  
foil (lay foil on top and form it around the stopper) and insert the  
stopper in the drain. Pour your popped corn in the sink, pour the  
caramel over it and mix. When you are done, all you have to do is  
clean the sink, it is big enough and it will not move while you are  
mixing.
By Ella from Illinois

-----
Land O' Lakes has a recipe posted here.
http://www.landolakes.com/mealideas/ViewRecipe.cfm?RecipeID=1511

Happy Thanksgiving and holidays everyone


Johnnae




On Nov 9, 2009, at 6:00 AM, Sharon Palmer wrote:

> Like Stefan says, several years ago we had a cookie exchange.  It  
> was a lot of fun, but postage is so expensive that no one wanted to  
> try it again.  So for the last few years I've suggested a virtual  
> cookie exchange.   I was going to wait a few more weeks, but this is  
> a good lead-in.
>
> Please post your favorite cookie recipe.  Period or modern, if it's  
> period, please give the source.
>
> Ranvaig
> _______________________________________________



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