Monday, January 31, 2011

Dessert Wars: Nutella & Hazelnut Caramel Corn

Sweet, crunchy, nutty, and chocolatey, this is one addictive snack that will satisfy all your cravings.  Buttery caramel corn is mixed with chopped hazelnuts and coated with a chocolatey Nutella drizzle.  A big bowl of this caramel corn would be great to serve at your Super Bowl party and/or packed up as gifts for Valentine's Day!

Nutella & Hazelnut Caramel Corn
A Stirring the Pot Original

For the Caramel Corn:
12 cups plain popped popcorn 
1 cup hazelnuts (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Nutella Glaze/Coating:
1/3 cup Nutella, room temperature
1-2 tablespoons milk or cream (enough to make thin or pourable)
Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans.  You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans.  Add the hazelnuts (if using) to the popped corn.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.  Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend.  Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.  The mixture will be light and foamy.  Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat.  Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated. (The caramel will become liquid-like in the oven and will be easy to mix in intervals).

Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes (this will evenly distribute the caramel).  Line the counter top with waxed paper.  Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces.  Allow to cool completely.

While the caramel corn is cooling, mix together the nutella and milk and/or cream in a small bowl until evenly mixed and smooth. When the caramel corn has completely cooled, place nutella mixture into a squeeze bottle or simply use a fork to drizzle over the caramel corn.  Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour so that the coating is allowed to firm up.
This is my entry for the new Dessert Wars, hosted by Reeni of Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice and Christine of The Cupcake Bandits.  This month's challenge was to create a dessert using Nutella and the winner will win the fabulous gift pack you see below:






-Endless Vanilla and Cinnamon Extract

-Unlimited Layers: A Recipe for Turning Your Passion into Profits

-$50 Gift Certificate to Theme Kitchen

-$50 Coupon Redeemable for Organic Valley Products

-$50 Coupon Redeemable for Organic Prairie Products

27 comments:

  1. Kim, that is a fabulous recipe and I do hope you win. I could never make that unless I decided before hand not to eat anything else for the weekend, lol. I would dearly love a big handful right now, though.

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  2. Oh yum, I could love for you to send me a Valentines Day gift this year! I am going to have to try it!

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  3. I just made a dessert with Nutella last week. Doesn't Nutella make everything taste better?

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  4. Hahhhaha! YES! I sooo know what I am making with the rest of my homemade nutella! Sounds Awesome!

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  5. I don't like popcorn. But Nutella on popcorn may change my mind!

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  6. Be My Valentine?

    Seriously...why have you done this to me?! You know how I love nutella. This looks really, really good.

    P.S. I'd have to drive 40 min to the nearest Walgreens, but thanks for letting me know about the Nutella sale!

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  7. kim! this is fabulous! nutella on popcorn is such a delicious idea, especially caramel corn. excellent job!

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  8. Oh I want some of this!!! This is an awesome idea!!! Thanks for your sweet comment;)

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  9. You are trying to kill me with this! How can I resist ANYTHING covered in nutella. Especially buttery delicious popcorn.

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  10. My favorite caramel corn...with nutella,seriously OMG! Why haven't I thought that before. Your really genius.

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  11. This has got to be the best flavour of caramel corn evaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
    *kisses* HH

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  12. Isn't making homemade gourmet popcorn so much fun!? And not to mention it's easy and delicious! I would love to make this for friends for a little Valentine's gift! :-)

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  13. This is just one reason I shouldn't look at blogs when I'm hungry - I want some of this right now!!!

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  14. As expected, a lot of good food at your house. I don't know how you do it all. I want to eat everything you make. Did you use bone in chicken thighs in your brasied chicken? I hope to get around more often now that my year-end work is almost completed.
    Mimi

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  15. What an AWESOME idea, Kim! I wish I had some right this minute!

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  16. I hate nutella, but this appeals to me. It seems like a good balance.

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  17. This is a unique idea Kim! Is this the idea you dreamed of? Because it is dreamy! Every time I eat popcorn I try to think of something different I can do with it - it gets boring - this is genius! Thanks for entering!

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  18. I've never liked nutella, but I'll take the recipe up to that point. Some chocolate, perhaps?

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  19. Ohhh Kim - I am so craving this now. It will be all I think about. Grand original recipe and I will keep my fingers crossed for you!

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  20. I really wanted to get in on Dessert Wars this month...I love Nutella! My kids would be over the moon for your popcorn! I bet my daughter would love to make this tomorrow. ;)

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  21. Wow, over the top! I will definitely have to make this for Mel one day. She loves Nutella.
    Very creative.

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  22. Thanks for entering our contest! I'm a big fan of popcorn...especially when I made it myself. I hadn't thought of using Nutella on it!

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  23. This looks delicious and way too addicting. ;-) Good luck in the contest! Looks like some very cool prizes.

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  24. My husband is a huge caramel corn fan...he is going to love this.

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  25. Oh, yum - this looks heavenly, but positively lethal. I could eat the whole tray of this!!

    I'd love you to link this up to "Make it with ... Mondays, where our special ingredient at the moment is Nutella. If you're interested you can link here http://couscous-consciousness.blogspot.com/2011/01/make-it-with-mondays-5.html

    Hope you're having a great weekend :-)

    Sue xo

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  26. May i ask the brand of popcorn you used use? just so i can make sure
    THANK YOU ;)

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  27. It looks great, it tastes great, but how much calories does it contain? a bowl of it will make you a few pounds heavier, plus if you add some cola, than your stomach will have crunches.

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