Do This To Your Cheetos For An Easy Party Snack That'll Vanish From The Bowl In Minutes - Tasting Table

Caramel-coated Cheetos create a sweet-and-salty snack by coating cheesy puffs with thick caramel. Caramel is made by melting butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup into a sauce, then stirring in baking soda for a silkier texture and improved color. The caramel is poured over Cheetos on a baking sheet and stirred to coat evenly. The coated Cheetos are baked for about an hour, with occasional turning, then cooled until shatteringly crunchy and caramelized. The flavor resembles a mix of cheese popcorn and caramel popcorn, similar to Chicago Mix, which combines cheesy popcorn and caramel corn. Cheese’s savory tang pairs well with sweet spreads like jam or compote, and other flavor ideas can build on the caramelized base.

"To prepare the candied Cheetos, start by making the caramel out of a blend of butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. After melting the three-ingredient mixture into a thick sauce, stir in some baking soda for a silkier consistency and better color. Then, pour the caramel sauce over a baking sheet full of Cheetos, stirring to coat. Bake for an hour, turning them every so often during the baking process, before taking the Cheetos out and letting them cool into shatteringly crunchy, caramelized puffs."

"One Instagram user astutely theorized, "It's like eating cheese popcorn with caramel popcorn I'd assume." Indeed, the recipe is a twist on Chicago Mix, a popular snack that combines cheesy popcorn and caramel corn."

"Often excluded from the chip category, Cheetos are a corn-based snack, delivering an earthy savoriness as well as a tangy, salty cheese flavor; it's a duo that would work well with caramelized sweetness. If you've ever enjoyed a cheese plate, you've surely spread a jam or compote over a slice in a testament to how well cheese pairs with sweets."

Read at Tasting Table