Caramel Popcorn

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs and they were packaged so beautifully that I decided to put together care packages for friends. In my care packages I had caramel popcorn, fall cookies, and pumpkin bread. They all raved about the popcorn and the other baked goodies.

If there is a fall treat that should be a staple in your house it is definitely this caramel popcorn. I've always been a fan of Crunch and Munch but this is so much better. There's nothing like fresh popcorn and homemade caramel to completely shatter the store bought crap.

Ingredients:

Popcorn (preferred method)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

½ cup light corn syrup

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Pop popcorn using whatever method you prefer. I was short on time so I just used microwave popcorn. Place the popped popcorn in two large bowls. There needs to be plenty of room to toss the popcorn in the caramel. It's also helpful to have an extra pair of hands.

Preheat the oven to 250° F.

For the caramel, melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, mix in the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and let it come to a boil while stirring frequently. Once the mixture reaches a boil, let it continue to boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove the mixture from the heat, stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract. The caramel will become very bubbly.

Pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn in the bowls and toss to coat thoroughly. Spray two large baking sheets with cooking spray and spread the popcorn evenly onto the baking sheets. Bake for about 50 minutes, removing from the oven to toss/stir every 10 minutes. After 40 minutes, test a cooled piece of popcorn. If it is not completely crispy, bake for 10 minutes more. The best way to tell if it's too mushy is when you eat it, it will stick to your teeth something awful. If it's sticking to your teeth, continue baking. Once it's crisp, remove the baking sheets to a wire rack and allow popcorn to cool completely before serving or packaging.

Adapted from: Annie's Eats as seen on Christie's Corner