Holiday Treat

Every year at my grandmother's Christmas party, there is a Christmas gift that each family receives. And covets. It is the carmel corn that my aunt Ann makes. And yesterday, my friends, Christmas came early!!

Aunt Ann came to see our new home here since she just lives about an hour away and she brought lunch. And dessert. Carmel corn in the cutest little Halloween bags. I'd share a picture but there are none because it is all very gone now. And I had to fight for my share as Peter kept returning to the pantry the whole time I was visiting!! But rest assured, I had a whole cereal bowl to myself.

So I've never used this recipe yet. But I wouldn't let Aunt Ann leave until she wrote it down for me. Which she graciously did. I've put the ingredients on my Peapod order, but I'm wondering if I'll be able to wait until Wednesday to make a batch of it. I might have to take them off Peapod and make a run to Dominick's. We'll see.

I can't wait for our Christmas treat!

Without further ado....the recipe:

Carmel Corn

26 c popped popcorn (about 1 c unpopped)

1 c butter or margarine, melted (or half and half...whatever)

1 3/4 c light brown sugar

2/3 c light corn syrup

1 t salt

Heat oven to 225 degrees. Heat ingredients on stove top over medium to medium-high heat until it reaches a low boil stirring constantly. This will take about 20 minutes. Then let boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in

1/2 t baking soda

1 t vanilla

Pour over popcorn kept warm in the oven. You'll need either several cookie sheets with sides or a very large roasting pan to hold the popcorn. Stir every 15 minutes or so for 1 hour at 225 degrees. Pour onto wax paper or paper bags to cool.

Notes:

*Add a cup or two of spanish peanuts, but don't be alarmed when they fall to the bottom of the pan and don't stick to the mix. Aunt Ann said they just don't stick well.

*Aunt Ann recommends using Domino's brown sugar as she has found it to melt the best thus resulting in the best carmel corn ever!