I very nearly fell over myself trying to hurry up and buy some candy corn today, which quickly led to a conversation with a stranger. Apparently not everyone has figured out that candy corn does indeed serve a purpose in this world. Thus, I'm reposting this recipe. THIS IS WHY CANDY CORN EXISTS.
Trust me.
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Way back when I first made Red Hot Popcorn, it dawned on me that the same concept would probably work with a lot of different kinds of candy. I vowed that I would try it with one particular kind of seasonal candy, in fact.
Candy corn.
I, for one, am not a fan of fall's stereotypical sugar high. I don't hate it or anything, I just don't actively seek it out. There's peanut butter cups to eat this time of year, dammit! If it isn't chocolate, it just doesn't deserve to be at the center of my universe.
That will be changing now that I've seen what happens when you melt it.
It turns out that if you melt candy corn along with some butter and corn syrup, it turns into a fun liquid that is perfect for coating popcorn.
It's caramel corn, but without the caramel. I wanted to call it Candied Popcorn, but Alexis had another idea.
Alexis says it should be called "Autumn Corn" because it's a gorgeous shade of orange that reminds her of the orange trees in autumn.
Who am I to argue with the kid?
It tastes like a candy corn-variation of caramel corn, which makes sense since that's what it is. Except, melting the candy corn and spreading it over popcorn makes it lose some of that overwhelming sweetness. It's like pairing it with popcorn actually fixes candy corn. It's not just edible this way, it's downright fantastic.
Autumn Corn
4 quarts popped popcorn (It doesn't matter how you make it--microwave, stove top, whatever. Separate and discard the unpopped kernels.)
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 cups candy corn
1. Start by making your popcorn. Place it in a large bowl(s) and set aside. (I had to use 2 bowls because I didn't have one that was big enough to hold it all.)
2. In a large saucepan, combine the butter, corn syrup, and candy corn. Simmer over medium heat until completely melted (8-10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
3. Pour the melted candy over the popcorn. Toss to coat evenly.
4. Place the Autumn Corn in a large oven-safe pan and bake at 200 degrees for one hour. Be sure to stir every 15 minutes or so, breaking up any large clumps.
5. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.
Candy corn has never been so good.