Colorful caramel popcorn

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g popcorn
• some oil
• 10 tbsp sugar
• some food coloring, different colors

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Harlequin popcorn, quick, cheap and delicious for parties and movie nights

Pop the popcorn according to the package instructions with a little cooking oil. Add just enough corn to cover half the bottom of the pot, and don’t forget the lid. Once most of the corn has popped, shake the pot back and forth so that the unpopped kernels slide to the bottom. Leave it on the stovetop for a short while, and when nothing else moves, pull the pot down. Caution! It’s better to take it down too soon than too late, as otherwise the popcorn is likely to burn. Set the popcorn in a bowl to the side. I also like to pick out any poorly popped or unpopped kernels at this point. It’s no fun finding them in the finished Harlequin popcorn later. Just wipe the pot out quickly and put it back on the stovetop. Now add about 4-6 tablespoons of sugar and let it melt. Caution! The sugar will be very hot, so keep an eye on the pot. As soon as the edges start to melt, start stirring carefully with a wooden spoon. As soon as about half the sugar has melted, remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring until it has all dissolved. Now add a pinch of the desired food coloring, mix well and put it back on the stove briefly so that it is well melted. Now take it back off the heat and add some of the popcorn to the caramel and color everything well. Repeat the whole process until you have colored all the popcorn in all its desired colors. I have had good experiences with yellow (orange), red, pink, blue, green and black, but I found purple and ivory less successful. I usually use 2-3 colors. I do not recommend liquid/baking coloring, it does not color well and adds too much moisture to the popcorn. It may take a little practice at first, but if you are careful not to let anything burn, it is a quick treat for many occasions.