National Caramel Corn Day

In honor of National Caramel Corn Day, I am re-posting one of my favorite recipes for, of course, Caramel Corn.  Caramel corn has been a favorite of Americans since Cracker Jack was introduced at the Chicago World' Fair in 1893 and this makes a great dessert or snack.  Might I suggest you make a batch and go see the Hunger Games if you haven't already?  Happy Friday!

Caramel Corn

If you were hoping for a let's-start-2012-on-a-healthy-note post that includes a recipe for salad, I'm afraid you are going to be disappointed.  If it is salad you are looking for, try the Kale and Pear Salad.  I made it again tonight (with apples instead of pears) for at least the 15th time and I still love it - healthy and delicious!

This is not to say that I don't think of the start of a new year as an opportunity to set goals and think about what I want to accomplish in the coming year.  I would say that my "resolutions" are more akin to goals - I make them quantifiable or measurable (e.g., set a new marathon personal best, read X number of books, etc.) because I really enjoy tracking my progress throughout the year to see what I accomplished.  Even when I don't attain one of my goals for the year, I have usually worked toward it and often that goal just rolls over into the next year!  

So, onto my first (of many to come) unhealthy posts in 2012!  I made this for the first time about two years ago with my wonderful friend H.  I remember standing in my kitchen eating clumps of it while it was still hot from the oven and marveling at how the caramel was still stretching from one piece of popcorn to the next and was so gooey.  I'm pretty sure that we ate half the batch right there (don't judge).  Since then, I've made this on numerous occasions.  I usually reserve it for parties as I have found it is incredibly dangerous to have it around the house.  

Caramel Corn
Adapted very slightly from Orangette 
Yield = 10 cups 

Before you start...
1.  I wouldn't recommend making this without a candy thermometer.
2.  Be sure to prep the baking soda and vanilla ahead of time (measure it out and have it ready to dump into the caramel at the right time).
3.  It is easiest if you have someone to help you when you add the caramel to the popcorn -- Rob is a wonderful kitchen assistant and turns the popcorn as I pour the caramel in.
4.  Be very, very careful with the hot caramel.  It does not feel good if it gets on your skin.
5.  I would actually measure out the popcorn to ensure you have 10 cups.  If you have more than 10 cups, I'd adjust the caramel accordingly (e.g., increase the amounts proportionately).  Mine is a little less caramel-y because I didn't make this adjustment.  Oops.  Sometimes I am lazy. 

Ingredients
1 (3½-ounce) package plain (unbuttered natural flavor) microwave popcorn, or about 10 cups fresh popcorn popped by any method, lightly salted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pop the popcorn according to the microwave package instructions or on the stove.  Coat a large mixing bowl with non-stick cooking spray, and dump the popcorn into the bowl, taking care to pick out and discard any unpopped kernels.

Measure the baking soda and vanilla extract and prepare it for mixing into the caramel - it is critical that you do this ahead of time and have it nearby while the caramel is forming.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Continue to simmer, whisking often, until the mixture reads 250°F on a candy thermometer, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the baking soda and vanilla.  Quickly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn.  Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the caramel into the popcorn, taking care to distribute it as evenly as you can.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring and turning the popcorn with a spatula every 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.  Gently break up the popcorn, and serve.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days (it won't last that long, I assure you).

Delicious Cheddar Crackers

 Whole Wheat Cheddar Stars 

Don't be dissuaded by what might be a less-than-inviting title... I am just lacking in creativity after getting up early this morning!  I went on a bit of a baking binge last night and finally tried this recipe for whole wheat goldfish crackers from Smitten Kitchen that I have been ogling since it was posted.  I love Pepperidge Farm Goldfish® crackers but I don't love that I know they are not particularly healthy (despite what the Pepperidge Farm website might say).  Delicious?  Absolutely.  Wholesome?  Debatable.

What never occurred to me was to try to make these at home!  These are made with predominantly whole wheat flour and sharp cheddar and they are incredibly tasty and addictive.  After baking them last night, I packed the crackers into portion-sized tupperware containers, which is great going forward to limit consumption, but never mind that I ate at least 10 while packing up the crackers!  If you look at the Smitten Kitchen post, you'll see that she has an adorable fish cookie cutter.  Unfortunately, I do not, but I do have a star that worked just fine.  Now if you'll excuse me, it is time to eat today's ration of cheddar crackers.  Good-bye.

Whole Wheat Cheddar Crackers
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Yield: About 60 1 1/4 inch stars

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups coarsely grated) sharp cheddar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon table salt (depending on your desired saltiness)
1/8 cup low-fat buttermilk (if needed)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients except the buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of butter in a food processor, running the machine until the dough forms a ball, about two minutes.  If the dough has not formed a ball and still seems very un-dough-like, add small amounts of the buttermilk and/or the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter until the dough comes together.  I needed the 1/8 cup of buttermilk and the extra 1 tablespoon of butter to get my dough to form a ball.

Wrap the dough in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes. This makes it easier to transfer shapes once they are rolled out and helps the dough allows the gluten to relax and prevents spreading of the cookies.  Read more about why you chill dough here.

On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick. Form shapes with a cookie cutter, dipping it in flour from time to time to ensure a clean cut. Gently transfer crackers to a parchment-lined cookie sheet with a 1/2 inch between them. Bake the crackers on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are barely browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and set the cookie sheet on a rack to cool.

Homemade Graham Crackers

Unfortunately, I've been sick for the last two weeks and an unexpected side effect has been that food tastes a bit off.  I've been baking up a storm but I can't really taste anything, which is hugely disappointing.  The one food that still tastes good to me is, oddly enough, graham crackers.  We had a few on hand from a cheesecake with graham cracker crust that I made a few months ago, but once I polished off the remaining crackers I was at a loss (and I was opposed to trekking out into the snow to buy more graham crackers.  Instead, I turned my baking efforts to finding a delicious graham cracker recipe.

Homemade Graham Crackers

In my search for a good recipe, I came across a bit of interesting history regarding the graham cracker.  It was developed in 1928 in Bound Brook, New Jersey by Presbyterian minister Reverend Sylvester Graham.  A true graham cracker is made with graham flour and some combination of white flour and wheat bran and germ.  Reverend Graham's crackers were marketed as "Dr. Graham's Honey Biskets" and were part of the Graham Diet, one theory of which was that you could curb one's sexual appetite by eating bland foods.  

Reverend Sylvester Graham1959 advertisement for graham crackersChoosing not to let the alleged side effects deter me, I settled on a recipe from Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs.  Like all of the recipes I have tried from this blog, the graham crackers did not disappoint.  They smell divine, the look adorable (although mine look a bit misshapen) and they taste great.  I think they actually improve with age and taste more like crackers than cookies.

A few thoughts and tips about this recipe.  First, be sure that the dough really comes together and that all of the ingredients are combined before you refrigerate it. I found that mine was a bit loose and separated quite easily, which made it difficult to roll out.  Second, if you care about aesthetics, using a fluted pastry wheel really improves the way the edges of the crackers look.  Third, be sure to watch these carefully in the oven.  Because they are thin, they cook quickly and you definitely don't want them to burn.

Ready for the oven

Graham Crackers
From Smitten Kitchen with slight adaptations.

The topping amount will make a light-to-moderate sprinkling.  If you'd like a heavy coating, I'd double the amounts below for the topping.

Yield = 10 4 x 4.5-inch graham crackers or 48 2-inch squares

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup (176 grams) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon (6 grams) baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt (4 grams)
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup (114 grams) mild-flavored honey, such as clover
5 tablespoons (77 grams) milk, full-fat is best
2 tablespoons (27 grams) pure vanilla extract

Topping (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (my favorite for baking is available from the Spice House in Chicago)

Make the dough: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

[Alternately, if you don't have a food processor or electric mixer, you can cut the ingredients together with a pastry blender. Just make sure they're very well incorporated.]

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the topping, if using, by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and setting aside.

Roll out the crackers: Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers.

Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 325°F.

Decorate the crackers: Some suggestions for decorating include marking a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough (again, this is for the traditional cracker shape), using a toothpick or the blunt end of a skewer to prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line or using a fluted pastry wheel for decorate edges.  I also think these would be adorable if make using cookie cutters of any shape.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. I'd check the crackers at 15 minutes as mine were done at that point!

The end result!