Honey Corn
February 25, 2020
An ooey gooey family favorite treat. This Honey Corn is perfect for the holidays, over ice cream, or a weeknight pick me up.
Beehive State of Mind
My home state of Utah is the beehive state, which may account for my special love of honey! Honey corn is a signature treat, served everywhere from the Utah state fair to small, cozy craft shops along the Wasatch Front. Just as the seasons begin to transition from late summer to early fall, I find myself craving honey corn. There is no better recipe to welcome this magical time of year and to remind me of where I grew up.
Get it While it’s Hot!
This soft, sweet, popcorn is ooey, gooey, and best served warm, just after you finish making it. It’s delicious to eat on its own, serve over ice cream, or mold into popcorn balls. Keep it in mind when looking for a gift to give from your kitchen, especially around the holidays.
For extra presentation points, make you own homemade ice cream to serve with your hot popcorn. The combination of salty and sweet, plus the hot and cold, makes for a perfect dessert!
Essential Tool – Thermapen
I recommend a candy thermometer for this recipe. It’s a great tool to have on hand for making a variety of homemade candy and sweets and acts as an insurance policy for making perfect caramel, and therefore perfect, caramelly honey corn.
Having a good thermometer like a Thermapen is critical when you’re wanting to embrace your inner Willy Wonka at home. A perfect batch of caramel hangs on reaching the right temperature before removing from the heat. The faster and more accurate your thermometer, the better the candy. I love the Thermapen for many reasons, but its versatility is at the top of my list. This product is reliable for the temperature of the pork loin I’m roasting and every bit as reliable for the candy I’m making at home.
There are different sugar cooking stages that are represented by temperature ranges. When the temperature rises, the amount of water decreases and the sugar begins to concentrate. The highest temperature reached during cooking determines how hard or soft it will be when it cools.
At each temperature range, the sugar will have a different level of sugar concentration and hardness. In this recipe the sugar is first cooked to the firm ball stage: 245-250°F (118-120°C) and then eventually to the hardball stage: 251-265°F (121-130°C).
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Honey Corn
Description
An ooey gooey family favorite treat. This Honey Corn is perfect for the holidays, over ice cream, or a weeknight pick me up.
Ingredients
- 24 cups popped corn (from about 1 cup popcorn kernels)
- 1 1/2 cups roasted salted peanuts
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil, wrapping the foil over the outside edges of the baking sheet.
- Divide the popcorn and peanuts evenly between the two prepared pans.
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, butter, cream, and honey. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium. Clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pot, gently boil the mixture until it reaches the softball stage, about 234º F. Remove the pot from the heat and, while stirring constantly, add the baking soda.
- Pour the sugar mixture evenly over the two baking sheets of popcorn and mix well with large spoons (the sugar mixture will be very hot). Let cool slightly and enjoy warm or room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.