When I was a small kid in southeast Missouri, we would sometimes go trick or treating out in the country around Fairdealing. My Grandma's both lived there. I loved going to the the houses in the country, because back then we would often get homemade treats like cookies or popcorn balls. The popcorn balls were made pretty much like this caramel corn was, with sorghum, and I always loved the taste of sorghum. This is pretty much the same thing, except it isn't made into balls, although you could easily do that. When the corn comes out of the oven, allow to sit until cool enough to handle, then with lightly buttered hands, form it into balls.
Homemade Caramel Corn
11/4 cup of unpopped popcorn, popped (about 12 cups or so)
1 cup butter
1 cup sorghum or molasses or corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
Put the popped corn in a very large bowl and set aside.
In a 2 quart saucepan melt the butter,
then add the sorghum, water, sugars and salt. Bring the pan to a full boil, stirring until the sugars are all melted
and the butter is completely incorporated. Boil about 1 minute.
Add the vanilla and stir well. Pour the caramel
over the popped corn and mix very well.
Place the caramel corn into very large deep roaster or divided between two 9x13 inch
cake pans. Place the pan or pans in the oven and bake for an hour, stirring the corn
every 15-20 minutes. At the end of the hour allow to cool completely, then break
up into pieces and store in airtight containers.
