Homemade Microwave Caramel Corn

How to make homemade caramel corn in the microwave with no more than a few ingredients and a paper bag. (No mess, no fuss!) Just add some shake-it-up energy for some good family fun!

A few years back, my book club read Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season.

We were a group of mostly young mothers, some at home, some working outside the home. Many of us were caught up with creating memorable holidays for our families.

We’d wanted it all! The shopping, the gifts, the wrapping, the food, the parties, the decorating, the tree, the concerts, the church programs, the special outfits, the … you get the picture.

We had become “Christmas Machines” and had lost the real spirit of Christmas.

The book and our discussion helped us think about the holidays in a new way. Many of us decided to pare back our holiday activities to those we found most meaningful.

For families with children, making caramel corn some afternoon just might make the list. No special equipment or big expense is required. You can plan ahead or just wait until the right moment arises. Just imagine the fun of the kids (and the grandparents?!) dancing around the kitchen shaking their paper bags!

ALANNA's TIPS Do not double the recipe – if you want more, make multiple batches. It may take a grown-up's touch every so often to give the bag enough 'shake' to distribute the caramel.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Do you have a special activity with the kids around the holidays? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. Follow Kitchen Parade on Facebook!

HOMEMADE MICROWAVE CARAMEL CORN

Total preparation time: Take off your watch, round up the kids and have a good time!
Makes 16 cups

CARAMEL
• 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) butter
• 1/4 cup (79g) light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 16 cups popped corn (100g, 3.5 ounces, made at home, How to Cook Popcorn in the Microwave or purchased pre-popped)

CARAMEL Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in four-cup Pyrex measuring cup or a container of similar size that can go in the microwave. In the microwave, heat the mixture for a few seconds and stir well to combine, repeat if needed. Bring the mixture to a boil, this will take 2 – 3 minutes on high, depending on your microwave’s power. Once boiling, boil for 3 minutes, stirring each time the mixture boils up and begins to overflow, do watch carefully so that it doesn't boil over. Remove from the microwave and stir in the baking soda (the mixture will bubble up). Mix well.

Meanwhile, place popcorn in a large paper grocery bag. When the caramel is done, immediately pour it over the popped corn in the bag. Close the bag and shake well, distributing the caramel throughout the bag. Cook 3 minutes in the microwave on full power, shaking the bag thoroughly every 30 seconds to distribute the caramel onto the popcorn and to prevent burning. If your microwave revolves, make sure that it can turn. Pour onto cookie sheet to cool, breaking apart the pieces with your hands as the popcorn cools.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Cup when made with air-popped popcorn: 145 Calories; 6g Tot Fat; 4g Sat Fat; 15mg Cholesterol; 124mg Sodium; 23g Carb; 1g Fiber; 16g Sugar; 1g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 3 & Weight Watchers PointsPlus 4

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