Crazy Mixed-Up Popcorn

This clipping is from the November 1997 issue of Southern Living and belongs to Sandy Stewart of Selma, Alabama.

Here are the players…popcorn, Rice Krispies, Cheerios, pecans, brown sugar, butter, light corn syrup, vanilla, and baking soda.  Note that the recipe also calls for dry roasted peanuts, which I,  being the lame brained person I am, forgot to buy.  And, I’m too lazy to get out and go to town for any.  I might add some other nuts I have in the freezer.

When selecting your popcorn at the store, select one that is not all buttered up.

Lightly butter a large roasting pan.  This is a wonderful old roaster that was my mother-in-law’s.  It's great for mixing up large quantities of stuff.

Mix the popcorn, cereals and nuts in the roaster.  I had walnuts, slivered almonds and sesame seeds in the freezer so I added those in lieu of the dry roasted peanuts.

Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter in a 3 quart saucepan.  Have your candy thermometer ready!

If you spray the inside of your measuring cup with a little vegetable spray, your corn syrup will slide right out. 

Over medium heat bring the sugar-butter mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.

Boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 250°.  Pay no attention to that spoon resting there; he's a camera hog.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and baking soda.  These will make the mixture bubble up.

Pour your caramel mixture over the popcorn-cereal mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until coated.  A word of caution…any time you make a caramel or candy mixture always realize that it is hot, hot, hot and will burn, burn, burn.

Place the roaster in a 250° oven for 1 hour, stirring the mixture every 20 minutes.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack

Break apart and store in an airtight container.

I’ve made this today to bag up and give away at the office so I’m dividing it up into these cute

Santa Claus bags.

This is not a bad little recipe but it just lacked the wow factor for me.  I'm not saying that it is not good; I've just tasted better recipes.

I doubled this recipe but I’m giving you the recipe below as it was published.

Crazy Mixed-Up Popcorn
Yields 14 cups

Ingredients:

6 cups popped popcorn

3 cups crisp rice cereal

2 cups toasted oat O-shaped cereal

1 ½ cups dry roasted peanuts

1 cup pecan pieces

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup butter or margarine

¼ cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Mise en Place:

·         Pop your corn

·         Butter roasting pan

·         Assemble all of your ingredients & measuring utensils

·         Preheat the oven to 250°

Method:

Stir together the first 5 ingredients in a lightly greased roasting pan.

Bring brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil, without stirring, 5 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 250°.

Remove pan from heat; stir in vanilla and baking soda.  Pour over popcorn mixture, and stir until coated.

Bake at 250° for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.  Cool in pan on a wire rack; break apart.  Store in an airtight container.