Chocolate Caramel Corn

Recipe by: Judith Choate, Jacques Torres | from Jacques Torres' A Year in Chocolate: 80 Recipes for Holidays and Special Occasions

Cookstr

Course: Snack

Total Time: Under 1 Hour

Skill Level: Moderate

Cost: Inexpensive

Photo by: Steve Pool

I didn’t know that Halloween was such a big holiday until I came to the States. Now, I’m the first to put on a costume and engage in holiday mischief! This sweet, crunchy confection is addictively good, perfect for a trick-or-treat bag. Kids and their parents love it. I like to use bittersweet chocolate, but you can use any type or combination you prefer.

Be extremely careful when working with caramel, as it can burn terribly. Have a big bowl of ice water nearby, so that if you are spattered with hot caramel, you can quickly immerse your hands or arms into the soothing cold.

Yield: Makes about 10 cups

INGREDIENTS

1 cup popping corn
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pound bittersweet, milk, or white chocolate, tempered

Directions

Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Pop the corn by your usual method, but use no oil and add no salt. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan large enough to hold the popped corn. Clip a thermometer to the side of the pan, place the pan over medium-high heat, and heat, without stirring, until the mixture registers 311°F. Stir in the baking soda, taking care, as it will cause the mixture to bubble up, then quickly add the popcorn and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon to coat the corn evenly with the caramel. Scrape the caramel corn onto the prepared baking pan, pushing it out evenly over the bottom of the pan to avoid clumping. Let cool completely. Once cool, break up any clumps with your hands.

Transfer the caramel corn to a large bowl. Gradually ladle the chocolate over the caramel corn while stirring with a wooden spoon to coat evenly. Continue stirring until all of the corn is nicely covered. Let cool completely.

Serve immediately, or store, tightly covered, in a cool spot for a day or two.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Serving size is 1 cup.

Calories 525kcal (26%)

Calcium 21mg (2%)

Vitamin C 0mg (0%)

Vitamin A 97mcg RAE (3%)

Potassium 240mg

Magnesium 84mg

Protein 5g

Sugar 48g