Caramel Corn

This one’s for my good friend, Lynne!  She makes the best “chunky monkey” for Christmas gifts.  I’m pretty confident I can speak for all the recipients—we look forward to savoring her caramel corn each year! She gave me the recipe a few years ago; but, alas, I’ve misplaced it and had to resort to creating my own version.  It may not be the same as Lynne’s chunky monkey, but it passed the taste test with flying colors in our household!

CARAMEL CORN

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/3 cup popcorn (8 cups popped)
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

 Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Melt coconut oil in a large saucepan or popcorn popper. Add popcorn and pop over medium-high heat.  Pour popcorn into a large bowl. In the same pan, bring honey, maple syrup and butter to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil 4 minutes stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla, vinegar and baking soda (will bubble up).  Pour over popcorn.  Toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on prepared sheet. Bake 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.  Sprinkle salt over popcorn. Stir occasionally as it cools.

Makes 7 to 8 cups

VARIATION:

For an extra special treat, make a batch of the Honey Roasted Cashews from our book, Eating Pure in a Processed Foods World®, toss with the caramel corn and drizzle melted dark chocolate chips over all!