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White-Chocolate Caramel Corn with Cashews

Caramel corn, a perennial Halloween favorite, gets an upgrade with the addition of chopped cashews and drizzled white chocolate. Serve alongside Caramel Apples.
Martha Stewart Living, October 2012
  • Prep Time 25 minutes
  • Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield Makes 12 cups
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Ingredients

  • 12 cups popped popcorn (from 1/2 cup kernels)
  • 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped cashews
  • 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 ounces white chocolate, chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place popcorn and nuts in a large bowl. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in corn syrup, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until sugar dissolves, stirring once or twice. Raise heat to high, and bring to a boil (do not stir). Boil, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 248 degrees, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in baking soda.

  2. Pour caramel over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat thoroughly. Transfer to 2 rimmed baking sheets, spreading in a single layer. Bake 45 minutes, stirring twice. Test doneness by removing a few pieces of popcorn from oven; if they crisp within 1 minute, popcorn is ready. Remove from oven, and immediately sprinkle with remaining salt. Let cool completely.

  3. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until melted and completely smooth. Fill a small resealable plastic bag with chocolate, and snip a tiny hole in 1 corner. Drizzle chocolate over caramel corn. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 10 minutes, before breaking up.

Cook's Note

Caramel corn can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Recipe Reviews

  • Happy_Birthday_Dr_Seuss
    4 Feb, 2013

    White-Chocolate Caramel Corn with Cashews
    Russell's Monday Dinner
    Nutritious and Delicious!

  • burbankbean
    21 Oct, 2012

    This recipe is delicious and very easy to make. It's now a family favorite!

  • coastalcook
    12 Oct, 2012

    I made this today and thought it was delicious. It was pretty simple, and is just a nice fall snack to serve at a party when guests will be grazing (rather than a sit down meal). I added extra sea salt because I love the flavor of salted caramel.