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Popcorn in Caramel Sauce

This crisp delicious popcorn treat is created, in minutes, in a microwave oven. I use the eight-cup measuring-bowl to measure the popcorn. I cook the sauce in a large pyrex mixing bowl so I have room to stir the sauce over the popcorn. I try to have a jar of this on the sideboard at most family gatherings.  

Ingredients:

8 cups of popped corn

1/3 cup of butter, melted

2/3 cup of brown sugar

1/3 cup of Roger’s Golden Syrup

½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon of baking soda

Step One:

Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and syrup in a large bowl and microwave on high for 4 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking time. (Slower microwaves might require 5 minutes) When using my microwave oven, I stir at 2, 3, and 4 minutes, then remove sauce from the microwave oven.

Step Two:

Add vanilla extract and baking soda to the sauce and stir well.

Add 8 cups of popped corn to the sauce and return the bowl to microwave oven. Cook the mixture for 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring half way through. (Slower microwaves might require 3 minutes) I stir at 30 seconds, at 1 minute, and again at 1½ minutes of cooking, then I remove the caramel popcorn from the microwave oven.

Over cooking results in blackening! Experiment with your cooking times.

Once cooked, spread the caramel popcorn onto a waxed paper or Silpat lined cookie sheet, to cool. When cool and dry, break caramel corn apart and store in a tin or glass jar to keep it crisp and crunchy! Serve popcorn to guests in parchment bags.

Fantastic Microwave Oven Peanut Brittle

I am enthusiastic about microwave ovens, and 8-cup measuring bowls. This easy recipe for peanut brittle uses both, and, if you make it, I am sure it will become a festive favourite at your house.

1 cup of white sugar

½ cup of Roger's Golden Syrup

Mix sugar and syrup, in an eight-cup glass measuring-bowl and cook for 3 minutes on high.

NOTE: I have to reduce the heat in my microwave oven to about power eight.

When the mixture has cooked for three minutes, add 1 cup of salted peanuts

Cook for 3 minutes more. Remove mixture from microwave oven.

Add 1 teaspoon of butter

Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda

Mix and cook 1 minute longer 

Pour the hot peanut brittle mixture from the measuring bowl, carefully, onto a greased cookie sheet, tilting the pan so the mixture spreads. A Silpat-lined pan works very well.  

Let the mixture cool and then break the brittle into chunks. 

Store cooled peanut brittle in tins, or glass jars.