Best Spiced Caramel Corn Recipes

SPICED CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread nuts on a small rimmed baking sheet, and bake until fragrant and beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand until cool. Coarsely chop; set aside.
• Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat); set aside. In a medium stockpot, heat oil over high heat. Add popcorn, and cover. Once the corn begins to pop, shake the pan constantly. When the corn has finished popping, remove from the heat, uncover; set aside.
• In a large deep pot, at least 12 inches wide, stir together water, sugar, and corn syrup. Add vanilla pod and seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush down the sides of the pan to remove any undissolved sugar granules. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, tilting and swirling the pan, until the mixture just begins to smoke and is a deep caramel color, 4 to 5 minutes more.
• Stir in the popcorn and nuts. Cook, stirring, while moving the pot on and off the heat to prevent the caramel from burning, until the popcorn is completely coated and the mixture is deep mahogany in color. Pour onto prepared baking sheet, and spread in an even layer. Let cool. Remove and discard vanilla bean. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

SPICED CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Place popcorn in a large bowl; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes without stirring., Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and baking soda (mixture will foam). Quickly pour over popcorn and mix well., Transfer to two lightly greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake at 250° for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from pans and place on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container.

AUTUMN SPICED CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300° F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Pour popped popcorn into an extra large bowl.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses and pumpkin pie spice. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes without stirring. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda.
• Immediately pour caramel sauce over the popcorn and stir to evenly coat the popcorn. If desired, stir in pecans.
• Pour caramel corn onto prepared baking sheets and spread into an even layer with a rubber spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
• Allow caramel corn to cool completely. Melt Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers according to package directions and drizzle candy coating over cooled caramel corn. Allow candy coating to set and break caramel corn into pieces before serving.