Caramel Popcorn

This caramel popcorn recipe is simply fabulous!  It's simple, affordable, and delicious!  I've included ALL the details in how to turn your sweet and salty caramel popcorn into an adorable favor.  WARNING:  This recipe is highly addictive.  Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 quarts popped popcorn (3 bags of microwaveable popcorn)
• 
  
• Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (95 degrees C). 
2. Place popped popcorn on a baking sheet and place in oven.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. 
4. Take popcorn out of the oven and place in a large bowl. 
5. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.
6. Place in two large shallow baking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces. 

I used Pop-Secret Homestyle popcorn.  Place popcorn in a 250-degree oven to keep warm.

Remember to pack the brown sugar in your measuring cup.

Add brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup into a saucepan.

Over medium heat, melt mixture to a boil.   Stir constantly.  Once the mixture begins to boil, stop stirring for 4 minutes.

REMOVE FROM HEAT and add baking soda and vanilla.

Toss with a non-stick spatula until evenly coated.

Place popcorn into two baking sheets or cookie sheets.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Let cool completely.

Break apart into pieces.

Store in ziplock bags to keep fresh.

To create party favors, you will need popcorn boxes, ribbon, food labels, a hole punch, and cellophane baggies.

I found a FREE template for these labels from The Ticket Kitchen.  I chose the soft yellow labels and added in "He POPPED the question!" I had the labels printed on cardstock at Kinko's and cut each label out by hand.

I purchased these popcorn boxes on Etsy.

Place a cellophane bag in each popcorn box to prevent the oil from the popcorn from staining the box.

Using a measuring spoon, scoop the caramel popcorn into each bag.

Tie with ribbon and add label.

He POPPED the question!  Congratulations to the newly engaged couple, Jon and Hye Jin!

Happy baking.

xoxo
Grace