Grandma Beach's Cararmel Corn

We sometimes get in a rut with bringing the same appetizers and desserts to parties. So if you're looking for a fresh, fun idea, here is a recipe that will be loved by all ages!

Dan grew up eating this caramel corn at his Grandma Louise's house. They called her Grandma Beach because she lived - ok, this is a stretch - on the beach! Every time they went to her house, she would make a huge batch of caramel corn. Dan has carried on this tradition and loves to make this recipe when given the opportunity. So this weekend when we were asked to bring a dessert to a family party, caramel corn seemed like the perfect thing!

Grandma Beach's Caramel Corn
6 packages of microwave popcorn
2 cubes of butter
2 cups brown sugar (note: this is NOT a weight watchers recipe!)
1/4 cup karo syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Pop the bags of popcorn in the microwave. We use kettle corn for some added sweetness (not sure if it really needs this added sweetness, but it sure tastes good!)

Once all the bags have been popped, place popcorn in a large aluminum pan (trying to take out any kernels that were left unpopped). You may need two pans, depending on the size of your pan.

This recipe makes a LOT of cararmel corn - so you may consider cutting it in half if it seems like too much (the picture above is only three of the six bags).

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Once melted, add brown sugar and salt. Stir constantly for about 6 minutes on medium heat, until brown sugar and butter and blended together. Turn heat down to low and pour in baking soda. This mixture will turn a bit foamy and light brown in color within 30 seconds.

This is what it looks like right after baking soda has been added.

Drizzle mixture over popcorn and stir until well coated. (Dan likes to heavily sample during this time period to make sure that none of the popcorn is poisonous!!)

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir mixture and bake for an additional 15 minutes. You can bake it for up to an hour, stirring every 15 minutes, if you prefer a more candied popcorn.

Set out for people to enjoy...and watch the caramel corn disappear.