Caramel Popcorn
This recipe is so much better than anything you can buy in a can from the store! Divide this up into individual bags to share with your friends for Halloween. The caramel can set up fast, so use a light coating of cooking spray on your spatula and bowl when you mix with the popcorn.
Ingredients
- 6 quarts popped popcorn (¾ cup kernels=6 quarts popped)
- 1 ¾ cup Virginia peanuts
- 1 cup butter
- 1 16 oz. pkg. light brown sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup molasses
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°.
- Coat an extra large mixing bowl lightly with cooking spray and place popcorn and peanuts in bowl.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses, and salt.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Boil for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Pour mixture over popcorn and peanuts and stir with a silicone spoon or spatula lightly coated with cooking spray, until well coated. Don't worry if some pieces are more coated with the caramel than others, as the caramel will loosen as it bakes in the oven.
- Pour into two lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 250° for 45 minutes, stirring and rotating the pans every 10 minutes. Cool completely. Store in airtight containers.