Ingredients
- 1 bag (3.3 oz each)Popcorn
- 1 cupM&M'S Brand Milk Chocolate Candies
- 1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1/2 cup = 1 stick)
- 1/2 cuplight corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cuplightly salted peanuts
- 1/2 teaspoonbaking soda
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare popcorn according to package directions. Remove all unpopped kernels. Spread popped corn evenly in 15x10-inch nonstick shallow baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with M&M'S Brand Milk Chocolate Candies; set aside.
Place sugar, butter, corn syrup and vanilla in medium heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Add peanuts. Cook an additional 2 minutes or to the hard-crack stage, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add baking soda and mix well.
Immediately pour caramel mixture evenly over popped corn and candy until coated. Do not stir. Let stand 30 minutes or until caramel has cooled and hardened.
Break into pieces. Store in tightly sealed container.
Cook's Tips
Hard-crack stage, 300 to 310F on a candy thermometer, is when a small amount of boiling sugar syrup, dropped into very cold water, separates into hard brittle threads.