Carmel

This is fabulous!! Thank you Camille!!!


"This is the recipe my family uses for caramel...

How hot you heat it is depending on what you are using it for. Caramel for caramel corn shouldn't be cooked too long so it stays soft & chewy. I don't really like crunchy caramel corn

So caramel corn caramel - to the "soft ball stage" & for caramels "firm ball stage" (Take a little bit & drop it in some VERY cold water - generally I put some ice in the water & then take the ice out right before I drop in a tiny amount of caramel) When it's at the right stage it'll form a ball instead of stringing.

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional & only if you are just making caramels)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup light corn syrup

If you are making caramels - grease the bottom & sides of a 8 or 9 inch square pan. If adding pecans put those in the pan.

Heat remaining ingredients to boiling in 3 quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly (or insanely frequently!). This part lasts forever. You maybe be standing there stirring that pot thinking "I'm going to be doing this until I die. Does this process EVER end???" It will I promise. And when you are eating the caramel corn you will be SO glad you did it Keep it up until it turns that beautiful caramel color & does the appropriate texture in the cold water!

Make sure before you've started all this that you've got your popcorn cooked & ready to go. Sift through it several times to make sure you get all the kernels out. Biting on a kernel when you are eating soft chewy caramel corn just stinks

Pour the caramel in a thin stream onto the popcorn and stir the popcorn frequently. Just keep it up until it's as coated as you like! I like it all covered & gooey & delicious

OH! And it's about 3 bags of microwave popcorn to this one batch of caramel.

Hope that all makes sense!