Brown Ale Caramel Corn

Prep 35 min
Total 1 hr 55 min
Servings 16

Red Hot Holiday Trends - This salty-sweet mix has all the highlights of happy hour: popcorn, pretzels, cocktail peanuts and beer. MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated December 7, 2012

Ingredients

cups popped popcorn

cup mini-pretzel twists

1/2

cup salted cocktail peanuts

1/2

cup brown ale beer

1/4

cup packed brown sugar

1/4

cup brown rice syrup or corn syrup

tablespoons butter

1/4

teaspoon salt

Steps

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1

Heat oven to 300°F. Line two 15x10x1-inch pans with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray.
2

In large bowl, place popcorn, pretzels and peanuts; set aside.
3

In 2-quart saucepan, heat ale over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Pour into glass liquid measuring cup to confirm measure. Add back to saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, syrup and butter. Cook over medium heat until bubbly around edges, stirring occasionally.
4

Reduce heat to medium-low; cook about 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and syrupy. Remove from heat; carefully stir in salt. Pour over popcorn mixture in bowl; toss until evenly coated. Spread popcorn mixture in pans.
5

Bake 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, to caramelize mixture. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container.

Expert Tips

Brown ale is a style of beer that is lightly hopped, very full-bodied, slightly sweet and dark brown in color. The color and flavor are derived from caramelized malts.
Brown rice syrup is a sweetener derived from brown rice. It has mild malty notes that enhance the beer flavor in this recipe. It is available at large supermarkets or specialty shops.
Need a gift for a beer lover? Package a bag of this salty-sweet mix and a bottle of brown ale for a great gift!
Use a bag or popped sea salt popcorn to save some time.
Interested in a non-alcoholic version? Root beer or cola can easily be substituted for the beer.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 130
Calories from Fat: 60

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 7g; 11%
Saturated Fat 2g 11% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 5mg; 2%
Sodium: 110mg; 5%
Potassium: 55mg; 2%
Total Carbohydrate: 13g; 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Sugars 6g
Protein: 2g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 0%; 0%
Vitamin C: 0%; 0%
Calcium: 0%; 0%
Iron: 0%; 0%

Exchanges:

1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat;