The Favorite Christmas Popcorn

You don't have this at your house.  I'm sure of it because I never had it until I became a Clawson. It is the best stinking popcorn around.  It's not one of those super easy recipes, and you have to have a candy thermometer, but what a better reason to go buy one!  I take every opportunity I can to visit Kitchen Kneads here in Logan, and peruse the aisles of their kitchen fantasy land.  It is lovely.  My last visit.........I walked out of there with a new electric pressure cooker, meat/candy thermometer (the kind that can stay poked in your meat and the display is on your kitchen counter), pepper grinder (it's awesome!) and baby whisk.  It was a very productive visit.  I was Christmas shopping, and I got everything I asked for!  James loves it when I get the presents for him!  Back to popcorn..........you should taste this stuff!  The recipe comes from one of my lovely sister-in-laws (I have 9 of them all together) granny's cookbook.  Her name was Nona and she was a cook!!  There are quite a few of her recipes that are old standbys at my house.  Actually, I think she was a caterer since some of her recipes are gigantic!

The popcorn is called Yankee Doodle, and I have no idea why.  When I first tried the recipe I had to call Jimmy's mom to ask a few questions.  The recipe was enormous and I wasn't quite sure how to go about making something of this magnitude.  James' mom told me to quarter the batch and I'd do just fine.   Thank you Eileen!  I can't imagine what would have happened had I tried to do the whole recipe.  I may have even killed myself with all that super hot toffee stuff poured all over the place.  Today though I make a double batch in the biggest, sturdiest pan I've got.  Like any candy making have a good pan.  None of these flimsy little pots.  You won't ever regret making this popcorn, but be prepared for a little hard work.  Call me if you're in the middle of it, and you've got a question.  That's usually what I do!  Have this out when you have company over and watch it fly!  Popcorn does that to people.

Nona's Yankee Doodle

(This is the double batch I do, but feel free to half it.  It will be very manageable.)

3 1/2 c. sugar

2 1/2 c. karo syrup

1 1/2 c. water

1 t. salt

Bring all together in a big sturdy pot.  Cook until 234' F on a candy thermometer.  Add 2 3/4 c. raw whole almonds.  Cook and stir  mixture and nuts to 264' F and add 1 1/2 c. raw whole cashews.  Stir and cook again until 294' F.  At this point add 1 pound of butter.  Turn off the heat.  This is the hard part.  You've got to stir all that glorious butter into the candy mixture and it really doesn't want to.  It will take a good 5-10 minutes to get it incorporated.  It will be like oil and water at first, but just be patient, it will incorporate.  I promise.  Once it's combined add 1 3/4 c. whole pecan and 1 gallon of popped popcorn.  Stir like crazy until everything in coated.  I spray my counter top with a generous spray of Pam at this point and pour the popcorn/candy/nuts onto the counter.  Spread it out as thin as you can.  Let it sit until cool and then break it up and place in a big Tupperware bowl.  This batch will fill one of the giant Tupperware bowls.  This recipe is actually a double batch.  You can half it and have a perfect amount for a little get together.  I do this double recipe and it will usually last through New Years.  It stays good forever.