I betcha you’re going to keep this recipe! It’s one everybody will enjoy, and you will notice that they keep going back to the serving bowl for this caramel corn. The recipe is from Elleen Patience.
Elleen was baptized at Riverside Baptist Church in Anderson when she was about 7 years old and has been a member there since. After she married and moved from home, she still continued her membership there, following the Baptist practice of attending the church nearest one’s home. The Rev. Wayne Adams is pastor of Riverside, which is in the Saluda Association – where the Rev. John Dill is director of missions.
Elleen and her husband, Sidney Patience, are both retired. They have a daughter, Melinda. A College of Charleston graduate, she is currently working in Charleston in a position involving computers. Elleen’s son, Robert Hill, his wife Kristi and their children, Lewis and Tyler, live in the area.
Over the years, Elleen has served in many positions at Riverside, including being in the choir and the choir director, and being an active member of the Young at Heart seniors. She has also served as the church’s activities director, often planning church tours. She doesn’t do so much now, and because of health sometimes misses a Sunday.
At home, she enjoys sewing and reading.
And making caramel corn.
Elleen Patience
She got this recipe from her mother-in-law in Belton and made it frequently when the children were young, but not so much now.
When I made this, I used a large pot for heating the butter, but when I tried to stir in the popped corn there wasn’t much stirring space. I put the popped corn into a large roaster and poured the butter-caramel mix over it. It was easier to mix. Then I spread it onto the baking pans.
Watch this: You must keep it stirred every 10 or 15 minutes while it bakes (as the instructions say) or the caramel mixture will stick to the pan and scorch.
We thank Elleen for sharing the recipe. It is a good one for making on Saturday, then saved for a snack the next afternoon or evening after you have had a large … Sunday Dinner.
Baked Caramel Corn
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup light or dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 quarts popped popcorn
Melt butter and stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Then boil without stirring for 5 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Gradually stir in the popcorn, mixing well. Turn the mixture onto two large shallow baking pans.
Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove pans from the oven and cool completely. Break apart the corn.
Yields about 5 quarts of Caramel Corn.