Gooey Caramel Popcorn
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Pinch cream of tartar
- 1/2 (10-ounce) package marshmallows, about 4 cups
- 10 cups hot, salted popcorn, uncooked kernels removed
- In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water, corn syrup, butter, and cream of tartar (this bit of acid keeps the sugar from crystallizing.)
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar.
- When the sugar syrup reaches a boil, stop stirring and swirl the pan around over the heat so it doesn't burn.
- As the syrup reaches the caramel stage, the bubbles on top will become smaller, thicker, and closer together.
- Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the caramel coats the back of the spoon.
- (If so inclined, stick a candy thermometer in the pot and cook until the syrup reaches the soft-crack stage, about 270 degrees F. When you drop a bit of this syrup into cold water, it will solidify into threads that, when removed, are hard yet bendable.)
- Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the marshmallows.
- Fold the marshmallows into the hot caramel so they all melt into a gooey caramel sauce.
- The caramel will coat better if the popcorn is hot, so make it while boiling the sugar or pop it first then keep it warm.
- Put the popcorn in a big bowl and pour the caramel marshmallow mixture over the popcorn.
- Gently fold with a wooden spoon to coat each kernel.
- Grab handfuls of the popcorn and squeeze it together to form popcorn balls; make them about the size of a tennis ball.
- Put the popcorn balls on a sheet pan lined with waxed paper to cool completely.
brown sugar, water, light corn syrup, unsalted butter, cream of tartar, marshmallows
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/gooey-caramel-popcorn-recipe.html (may not work)