Place your cooking pot on the stove, add 2 TBSP of oil and add 1 cup of corn kernels. Turn the heat on to MEDIUM HIGH.
You will need to continuously stir the pot as the kernels get heated and fried. If you do not have a special pot to cook the kernels, use a wooden spoon to continuously stir the pot you are cooking in. The oil will sizzle and kernels will get ready to pop.
Once you notice one or two kernels getting ready to pop, add the confectioner sugar or the granulated sugar. This will slow down the popping process, just because the sugar starts melting and caramelizing. Keep on stirring the pot. The kernels will start popping. If you are using a Whirley Pop, keep the lid closed and keep on stirring. If you are using a regular pot, keep on stirring until the sugars melt and the kernels start popping. Once they start popping, close the lid of the pot.
I love adding kerrygold salted butter into this mixture. It adds a touch of salt and rich balance to the kettle corn.
There are multiple ways of adding butter. You can melt the butter in the begging, along with liquid oil. You can add the butter alongside with sugar, or you can add the butter after the kettle corn is ready. I like to add it after it is cooked. I add it right in to the pot, before I remove the kettle corn from the pot. If you are melting the butter before adding to the kettle corn or the popcorn, yo can do so after taking the corn from the heat. Once you take the corn from the heat, be careful, it is going to be hot. Also, let it sit on the counter for about 5 minutes before serving. The sugars will cool down a little, and create a nice crisp shell around corns.
ND METHOD:
Another method is to add the sugar after the kernels start popping. This will result in a much more fluffier, and less caramelized kettle corn. Some sugar might remain on the bottom of the pan, because sugar will not have enough chance to melt well.