homemade caramel corn

I need to be upfront about the psychological steps you'll go through with this recipe. 

1. Your excitement for fall and desire to impress your friends and faithful blog readers will make you ambitious enough to attempt caramel from scratch. 

2. You'll find some recipes online that include such basic ingredients and simple instructions, you feel confident enough to pick your favorite parts from each recipe.

3. You'll pop popcorn (microwave is totally forgivable); measure vanilla, butter, sugar and water; and consider opening a candy store.

4. You'll turn on the burner, swirl the sugar water and watch it bubble for awhile.

5. Then you'll panic a little because this is the moment that could turn ruinous just as easily as it could be magical. When the liquid begins to solidify (too much?!) you'll throw in the butter and vanilla, then pour it quickly over the popcorn lest it harden before sufficiently coating.

6. You'll realize there must be an easier method for coating the popcorn and dump the whole pot onto a baking sheet. Then you'll use your fingers (when you should use a spatula because hot caramel is painfully hot and sticky) to mix in the dry pieces. Hurriedly throw in some almonds and sea salt while the caramel is still painfully hot and sticky.

7. You'll grab a little handful and step back to admire your caramel corn mountain. When you taste it, you may notice the caramel is very sticky on your teeth and you'll worry that you overcooked it. Although it tastes delicious, you'll try to think of a Plan B snack to take to Bible study for fear your popcorn will pull someone's tooth out, and decide you were never fit for candymaking after all.

8. Later, your loving sister will come home and sneak some and tell you that she enjoyed it. Your self-defeat will wane enough to consider sharing it with Bible study after all. "You don't think it is too sticky?" you'll ask. She'll reassure you by eating some more and you'll pack the rest in Tupperware, thinking maybe you are not a caramel failure at all. Maybe it just needed to sit awhile.

9. You'll serve it to your Bible study, who accepts with much gratitude and love and encouragement. Because how else would that group react? 

10. After it's all gone, you'll go back to the Internet, thinking next time you'll try one of the recipes that uses corn syrup and bakes in the oven. Caramel corn is delicious. 

Homemade Caramel Popcorn

Adapted from several recipes

6 c. popped popcorn (1/2 c. kernels or 2 bags microwave)

2 c. sugar (I used half white and half brown...all white might have been easier)

2/3 c. water

1 T. butter

1 1/2 vanilla extract

Sea salt

Almonds

Pop the popcorn, combine with almonds and set aside.

Measure the butter and vanilla extract and set aside.

Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and turn the burner to medium high. Swirl the pan occasionally and let it bubble for 15-20 minutes. Once it cooks down a bit and begins to thicken, add the butter and vanilla. It will bubble up. Swirl ferociously.

Pour over the popcorn/almonds and quickly toss with a spatula to cover the most pieces. As the photos show, this recipe does not completely coat the pieces in caramel, which allows for a prime salty/sweet ratio.

Spread onto a baking sheet, breaking up the big chunks. Sprinkle with sea salt. 

Serve/eat immediately if you don't mind sticky teeth. Wait a couple hours and it will get easier to chew.

Pat yourself on the back.

With love.