Caramel Crunch
Country Woman
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Our whole family has a sweet tooth, so this caramel-drizzled mix of popcorn, almonds and cereal goes quickly. My "off-limits" batches are divided into plastic bags, tied with ribbon and shared with all the snackers on my Christmas list.
SERVINGS: 18
CATEGORY: Appetizer
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 45 min.
Ingredients:
- 9 cups popped popcorn
- 9 cups Crispix cereal
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
In a very large heat-proof bowl, combine the popcorn, cereal and almonds; set aside. In a large heavy-duty saucepan, melt butter; stir in corn syrup and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat. Stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam up and get lighter in color.) Carefully pour over popcorn mixture; stir to coat evenly.
Transfer to two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 250° for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight containers. Yield: about 4-1/2 quarts.