Christmas Bakery!

I'm sorry I haven't posted any new recipes lately. I haven't felt well since Thanksgiving and I've had a wee girl with a cold at home. That doesn't mean I have stopped cooking, though! Heavens, a day without cooking is like purgatory for me. I'm that addicted to it. I probably have a problem with a name and everything.

Recently I've been trying out recipes that are gift and party worthy. I have made a lot of lovely things. I've also made some not so lovely ones that will not be featured here...like the horribly wrong peanut butter fudge, which we shall not mention again.

The stand out ones that I have made--and which I will bestow on you in easy to digest installments--are the following: "The Cheesecake Factory" Pumpkin Cheesecake, Wonderful Gingerbread Cookies, Great Harvest's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Lime Bars and Molasses Cookies.

Today is Gingerbread Caramel Corn. I made it over the weekend to take to work, and it got rave reviews! Just think what a great gift it would make, accompanied by a bottle of sparkling cider or some fresh apples.

Gingerbread Caramel Corn

15-18 cups popped popcorn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

(Tip! If you don't want to use air popped popcorn, you can make this in a pinch with microwave popcorn.  I use two bags of Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop Butter because the butter flavor is practically non-existent, so it doesn't effect the flavor of the caramel.)
-Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Set aside two 9x13 pans or one large half sheet pan for the popcorn to bake on.
-Put the popcorn in a large mixing bowl.  Shake the popcorn so that all the unpopped "old maid" kernels (they break teeth!) fall to the bottom.  Transfer the popcorn to another mixing bowl using very clean hands or a spoon, and then throw the unpopped kernels in the bottom of the bowl away.  Make sure the bowl the popcorn ends up in is heatproof and has enough room for you to stir the popcorn around in without falling out, and set aside.
-In a large, heavy saucepan combine the salt, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses, ginger and cinnamon. Measure out the baking soda and set aside.
-Heat the mixture over medium heat until it comes to a full boil.
-Boil for 4 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
-Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. The mixture will foam up. Stir well.
-Pour this mixture over the popcorn and stir gently until evenly coated with the mixture.
-Spread the popcorn out onto the pan(s) in an even layer.
-Bake for one hour, stirring the popcorn every fifteen minutes.
-Cool completely on the pans, stirring every once in a while as it cools.  When completely cool, store in an airtight container.