Popcorn Popping

Several weeks ago, when I was either excited that it was spring or hoping that spring would hurry up and arrive (I can't remember which), I saw this fun and simple craft on the blog Serving Pink Lemonade. Benjamin liked it so much that he asks to make another one about every other week. So far there are only these three (two made at home and one made in nursery), but I have a feeling there could be more of these on the wall before spring is through.

I was impressed with him for not eating any popcorn with glue on it, but most of the stuff he grabbed from the bowl went into his mouth rather than on the paper. I thought it was fun too, so I helped fill in the gaps.

Of course, the several cups of popped corn was more than enough for a couple of popcorn trees, so what did we do with the leftovers?

We made caramel corn, of course!

This recipe came from a woman in my ward when I was a kid. My mom has the recipe typed (with a typewriter) on an old index card in her recipe file. I wish I had a copy of that, but this (rather dirty) page you see is from the cookbook I made myself when I went to college.

First, measure five cups of popped popcorn into a paper grocery sack.

Next, put 2 Tablespoons corn syrup, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 4 Tablespoons butter or margarine into a glass measuring cup or other microwave-safe container.
(When Paul and I were first married, I tried making this recipe using a plastic bowl with a lid that I assumed was microwave safe (because I didn't have a paper bag), but the candy got so hot in the microwave that it melted the entire bottom of the bowl and filled our apartment with burnt plastic smoke. I learned my lesson and now only use glass to be on the safe side.)

Microwave the ingredients in the glass measuring cup for 1 1/2 minutes on high power, then stir. Microwave for 1 more minute, and stir. Then stir in 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. The mixture will get foamy. Pour it over the popcorn in the grocery bag, fold down the top of the bag, and give it a good shake. Stick the whole bag in the microwave for 1 minute, then shake it again. Microwave 1 minute more. Shake it one last time before carefully dumping the popcorn, which will be very hot, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Let it cool for a little while, and then enjoy!

You can experiment with different microwave times with the paper bag. The longer you microwave it and the more powerful your microwave is, the more dark and crunchy your caramel corn will be. I've reduced my microwave time to thirty-second intervals in the past, resulting in gooey, chewy popcorn, which was good also if you don't mind it sticking to your teeth.

This is a really easy, simple recipe that makes a good, inexpensive treat in minutes. And who doesn't love some good caramel corn?