Caramel Pecan Popcorn

I want to share the caramel corn recipe today. It really is incredibly good. My only hang-up with it is that you really do have to use an air popper. I can't think of a way around it and do not think this recipe will work if you use any oil to pop the corn. I, personally, do not own an air popper, but thankfully, Matt's mom has THREE!! If you don't have one, it's worth borrowing or hunting one down.

Here is Matt's mom (aka Gigi) Not-So-Secret Recipe....

Caramel Pecan PopCorn

3/4 cup unpopped popcorn
1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups of brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1 bag raw peanuts or 3-4 cups pecans
1 tsp of vanilla
½ tsp of baking soda

Pop popcorn* and remove unpopped kernels and place in a large roasting pan. Combine the nuts, butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and soda. Pour over the popcorn and stir well to coat. Bake for one hour at 250, stirring every fifteen minutes. Pour out and let cool on waxed paper or the counter top. Break apart, cool, and store in air-tight container.

*An air popcorn popper works best because you don’t want any oil or butter on the popcorn.


Boiling....
After we added the vanilla and soda. Big transformation.

Pouring over the popcorn.

Into the oven.

We use the countertop to spread it out. This is what one batch looks like. We usually do at least two.

And let me say, if Gigi and I accomplished this from start to finish with THIS MUCH "help"....

...you can do it, too.