Momma's VBS Carmel Corn

My mom and dad just wrapped up another year of Vacation Bible School at their church. Dad did music and choreography with the kiddos while Mom and her crew fed the small army each day. One of the snack items they made was carmel corn. (Well, technically it was supposed to be like Cracker Jack, but some of the children had peanut allergies so they were omitted)

Mom gifted us with a sample of her carmel-y corn and I just had to have the recipe.

Today, I will share with you how to take 3 bags of microwave popcorn and turn them into a sweet, crunchy treat.

3 bags of popped microwave popcorn

1 thunderstorm + 1 good book + 1 bowl of carmel corn = a great night in

A word of caution: this recipe is 100% dangerous to anyone on a diet. Don't say I didn't warn you... ;)

VBS Carmel Corn
24 (1-1/4 cup) servings

30 cups popped popcorn (3 3oz microwave bags)
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup dark corn syrup
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Use cooking spray on anything the wet caramel will touch. (Makes for easier cleanup later.)
Pop each bag of popcorn. Place the popped corn into a roaster pan, removing unpopped kernals*.

In a large, deep saucepan combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and margarine. Bring to a boil over medium
heat, stirring to blend. When the mixture begins to boil, boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy.
Immediately pour caramel over the popcorn and gently stir to coat.  Don’t worry too much about getting all the popcorn coated.

If baking in the roaster: Bake uncovered for 1 hour, carefully stirring every 15 minutes.

If baking on the two baking sheets: Divide the popcorn between the two baking sheets. Bake
for 45 minutes, carefully stirring every 15 minutes.

Line a table or counter with waxed paper. Dump the popcorn onto the wax paper and separate pieces as needed. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight bags. (I just returned mine to the roaster, covered with a layer of foil and put the lid back on. The foil was to ensure it was airtight due to living in a humid climate)

* If you don't remove the kernels you run the risk of breaking a tooth. Take the time and remove them please.