Cruncy. Here is the link to Linda's recipe she posted.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crunchy caramel cheetos

Thanks so much Rob333!

Karen, I boutght my Cheetos yesterday and I wondered the same thing...got the crunchy ones. Actually the recipe, when I got around to looking at it, says crunchy. I found the easy way to spread the Cheetos when you take them out of the oven, is on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil,lightly misted with cooking spray, and taped to your counter top.

No, (this is the hard part) VERY QUICKLY, spread etc. I hate the kind of instructions that make me want to panic because at that point I become all thumbs.

jude

Thanks Jude, I'm getting ready to make them right now. Of course, I had to make a trip to the store because I had bought the orignal cheetos thinking that was the ones I was to use. Ha

I appreciate the advice about the foil. I will get my duct tape now and begin. "VERY QUICKLY" scares me too!

Karen

You're welcome!

Jude, that's one of those times where you surely read the recipe before hand and get all the materials ready :)

I just mist my countertop with cooking spray - don't even use the foil. Of course I have a phobia about little pieces of foil getting stuck to food!
Jane

Okay, they turned out wonderful. It wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. I had enough time to seperate them quite easily.

I wonder if adding a tsp. of vanilla would enhance a great recipe even more. Has anyone tried?

Karen

You are so right, Rob, so when I saw the all caps and the warning.....before I even started, I decided there was a better way. And so there was.

Karen, Good for you! I'll try the vanilla suggestion but my first challenge is finding Cheetos that aren't like bottom feeders.

Hmmm, in my personal experience the "very quickly" warning has nothing to do with the surface you're laying them out on and everything to do with separating the pieces from each other before they get stuck in a clump. No need to be initimidated, just be ready to do it and don't lollygag! The bigger your prepared surface, the easier to spread.

I do have the problem with broken Cheetos. Solution: Buy about twice as much as you think you need, pick out the cream of the crop for the recipe and enjoy the rest as originally intended!

"originally intended", so with orange covered fingers and thumbs while not touching anything until you're done? I actually went to find some Cheetos all over campus and couldn't find any today. Any other day sure. Any other chip sure. Not cheetos. Wonder if everyone has a hankering today?

;)

Rob - Perhaps, but I always assumed the "original intent" of the cheese dust was to be a deterrent from handling the stuff. Just pour straight from bag into mouth!

(Upon re-reading the prior comments I realize we're all primarily saying the same thing: large surface = easier separation.)

Yes, I did have a large surface to work on and it worked really well. I used parchment paper sprayed lightly with cooking oil. I used duct tape to hold it down. LOL All the uses for that wondeful DUCT TAPE!and now with all the colors and patterns. I wish I would have invented it.

Next time I will use Jane's method and just spray the countertop. Thanks Jane.

Karen

Here's a picture of two thirds of my three recipe batch this year.

I've made several batches of this health food since learning about it here a handful of years ago- I still get stressed out. It is a big messy, fast paced job, especially when multiplying batches.

I always have some variation in the texture and "cementing together" time. I try to be consistent but it must have something to do with the intensity of the 5 minute boil or maybe the extra heat stored in the oven after a batch or two. Sometimes it dries and has a dusty look and sometimes it's high gloss. I've mixed the two in the foreground batch. It all tastes the same, it's just harder to work with when it's the dry version.

Vanilla sounds like a good idea.

I'm sure they are delicious but they kind of look like bait. One day I will have to try this recipe.

They ARE bait, dedtired...bait for us ! :O)

They are just one of those crazy things where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. My daughter has been making then for her uncles for Christmas for 5 or 6 years. Last year she decided that they needed a healthier treat so she made them granola. The uncles made such a fuss, that she ended up making a batch the day after Christmas to shut them up!
J

Okay, now I've got to give them a try. I still think they look like larvae or grubs, except oranger.

The whole idea sounds disgusting to me but they do look delicious. I just like the Cheeto flavored Cheetos...HA!

Well, as I reported earlier, everything went well until I put them in a bowl to serve, then they all stuck together. Did I do something wrong? They didn't seem at all sticky when they were laying on the parchement paper. I left them there for a couple of hour before putting them in a bowl. What do you think my problem was?

Karen

High humidity, perhaps?

Rusty

Difficult to say from a distance but here are some thoughts. Did you boil the caramel for the full 5 minutes, that would influence the hardness of the finished product. Another thing I noticed- when I sprayed the pan that received the separated cheetos it created an oily surface on the finished product. That could create a sticky result if you used the same technique. I no longer spray a pan prior to separating and have had no oily problems. Other than those comments, assuming you didn't substitute ingredients, I'm not sure what would do it. Was the bowl warm or in a too warm spot?

Michaelp

I did not substitute anything. I did boil for the full 5 minutes. I did spray the parchment paper that I seperated on, maybe that was my problem. I don't think the bowl was warm but my house was pretty warm.

Karen

How far ahead can these be stored? And is it possible to freeeze them? I'd bet not about the freezing.

I never tried freezing them- they easily stay crispy and fresh for a week if kept in tight palstic or container. They've never lasted longer than a week (because of the munch factor) to comment on longer storage.

michaelp

Lakemayor, are you in Fla. now? We have had some pretty high humidity so I would say that was the problem. Wonder if you could store in the frig if that would help?

No, I'm not in Florida yet, I'm still in Michigan. We have had a lot of rain recently but not that week I made them. I did put them in the frig and they harden up nicely and broke apart really well, but after they stayed out on the counter in the airtight container they stuck together again.