Caramel Pecan Popcorn

  Candied Caramel Pecan Popcorn. Buttery, sweet & salty.

Butter, sugar and salt, considered by some members of my household "the alternative" food groups ;-)

Caramel Pecan Popcorn

Ingredients
9 cups of popped corn (about half cup of popping corn kernels)
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1 cup of brown sugar firmly packed
125g of butter chopped (4.4oz)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

Preheat oven to *180c (360F) 

Method
Combine sugar, butter, syrup & salt in a large pan. 
Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
Bring to boil uncovered for 2 minutes.
*Stir in soda.

Pour caramel mix over the popcorn & spread popcorn out in a single layer on greased oven trays.
Cook popcorn in oven for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until popcorn is crisp & brown.
Store cooled popcorn 2-3 days in an airtight container.

*Take care when adding the soda, the mixture does foam up.
  I'm using a gas oven with no fan, if your oven is fan forced reduce heat    
  accordingly.

Variations;
Drizzle tempered dark chocolate over the cooled popcorn on trays.

Omit salt from recipe, instead sprinkle a finishing salt such as Maldon sea salt flakes over of the warm popcorn on trays.

Change nuts, macadamias and peanuts work well.

Top a frosted cupcake with a single piece of candied popcorn close to serving time so the popcorn doesn't soften.