Recipe Redux: Caramel Corn

I got this recipe years ago from my friend Heather. Whenever she felt like she owed us a favor, one of her kids would show up on our doorstep with a huge bowl of chewy, buttery caramel corn. I have to say, getting paid in caramel corn is the way to go!

Caramel Corn

makes 1 big cookie sheet piled pretty high

3/4 cup unpopped popcorn kernels (I did some careful calculating and figured out that 2 bags of Archer Farms microwavable popcorn from Target worked perfectly. I bought the blandest flavor I could find!)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

a pinch of salt

Pop popcorn and put it in a very large bowl. In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Add brown sugar and corn syrup, whisk, and cook over medium heat until it reaches soft ball stage, or 234-240°F on a candy thermometer.  Remove from heat and add vanilla, baking soda, and salt.  The mixture will lighten in color and double in volume.  Pour caramel over popcorn and stir gently with a big wooden spoon.  Toss until all of the popcorn is evenly coated, then spread on a big cookie sheet to cool.