Halloween is a fun time of year. Costumes, candy, parties... It's a great time to be a kid. It can also be a fun time for adults. Dressing up in costumes and throwing parties is something we never outgrow. It's a great time for everyone to get silly. I'm always up for a party and once in a while I'll put on a costume but what I love most, in all honesty, is coming up with the food and drinks. It's a chance to put a creative spin on Halloween treats. This year I decided to dress up some homemade caramel corn and pair it with a spooky drink to create an adult version of Trick-or-Treating.
I made White Chocolate Caramel Corn with Cashews from Martha Stewart Living. It's an upgrade from traditional caramel corn and worth every second of the time it takes to make it. The recipe is easy to follow and believe me, it gets gobbled up quickly so consider making two batches for a large crowd. I'll show you the steps I took so you have a visual. The complete recipe follows.
White Chocolate Caramel Corn with Cashews
Some of the main ingredients are white chocolate, brown sugar, chopped cashews and popcorn. I used Pop-Secret Sea Salt microwave popcorn instead of popping corn on the stove. I didn't add as much salt at the end. It turned out just fine.
Toss the nuts and the popcorn in a large bowl and set it aside.
You're going to make the homemade caramel on the stove. You will need a candy thermometer.
The caramel is done when the thermometer reaches 248 degrees F. You will add baking soda as soon as you remove the saucepan from the heat. The caramel will become light and airy.
I thought it would be a sticky mess but it slides right out and onto the popcorn. Easy!
I sprayed my spatula with cooking spray before tossing the popcorn. It kept the caramel from sticking to it.
Spread the caramel corn onto baking sheets covered with parchment and bake in the oven on low heat.
After the caramel corn is baked and is completely cooled, drizzle with melted white chocolate.
Refrigerate the caramel corn until the chocolate hardens.
Serve or store in airtight containers. I made individual serving cups by wrapping parchment paper around a glass and securing it with a piece of raffia (remove the glass after you tie with raffia).
Liquefied Ghost Martini
Don't let the ghost fool you! This silly little drink is "adults only" with vodka mixed into the vanilla and cream concoction. Take it easy, because it only looks innocent!
Happy Halloween!
Leslie xo
- 12 cups popped popcorn
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cashews
- 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 5 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Mix popcorn and nuts in a large bowl. Melt butter in a 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.
- Pour caramel over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat thoroughly. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, 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.
- 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.
- Break apart and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Ingredients
- 2 oz. vodka
- 1 oz. vanilla simple syrup
- 1 oz. cream
- 2 oz. club soda
- Marshmallow ghost (optional)
- Mix vanilla simple syrup, cream, vodka and soda.
- Serve in a martini glass.
- Slice marshmallow ghost on bottom half and place on martini glass as garnish.
- Cheers!