I have always liked caramel popcorn but had never tried making it. The first time I looked through my copy of Bouchon Bakery, the recipe for Caramel Popcorn caught my eye and I knew I would be high on my list of things to make.
Caramel popcorn is fun, but hectic, to make. From start to finish it took me less than an hour to produce a very impressive treat.
This popcorn is so good! It might be the best caramel popcorn I have ever eaten. It has the perfect balance of sweet and salty, and just the right amount of crunch. In fact, I cannot stop eating it!
If you are interested in trying Caramel Popcorn I found a slightly adapted version of the recipe here.
Recipe Notes
- You have to move quick once the caramel is ready. Have everything in place and ready to go, move kids and pets out of the way, and go for it!
- I found that half a cup of unpopped kernels produced just about the right amount of popped corn (maybe slightly too much, see below).
- My caramel didn’t coat the popcorn kernels quite as much as I would have liked, but I think this is due to my using a little more than 10 cups (more like 12 cups). It is still good though, so don’t fret about getting the exact amount of popcorn.
Altitude Adjustments
Surprisingly, yes! Even though this recipe involved no baking, adjustments need to be made when making candy due to the lower boiling point of water at higher altitudes. I used this formula to adjust the temperature down when making the caramel. For Reno (elevation 4500 feet) I adjusted down 9°F.
I think this is the reason why I have had trouble making caramel and other candies in the past. I always end up burning them while I wait to get the temperatures up the final few degrees. Now I know why!
Next Month
May is already moving quickly, so I have chosen another simple recipe: Plain Scones (page 68). I will share my results with you on May 28th (hopefully!).
From Scratch 
For May, I implore you to make the honey cinnamon scones instead. Just about as simple (in fact uses the plain scone recipe) and oh so good. You won’t be sorry!
OK, I’ve decided to do half plain and half honey cinnamon. I’m really in the mood for the plain ones, but the other ones do sound very good!
Wow, I have to try this soon! 🙂
The color of your popcorn is so pretty. I agree that making caramel popcorn can be rather hectic. I made some from BAKED Explorations last year and it was a hit as I am sure this recipe was for your family.
I have this book, you’ve encouraged me to go back to it and try the popcorn, it looks fantastic! I love the book but I think it intimidated me! You’ve made me feel excited about revisiting it 🙂
A great recipe I can’t wait to try out. I love caramel popcorn!
I have my own brand of Caramel Popcorn I learned from my grandmother. While different from your own, I think recipe is pretty good. I’m new to the Food Blog scene and would love some feedback from a pro like you. Check out my recipe if have time.
http://persnicketypanhandler.blogspot.com/2013/11/caramel-popcorn.html