A Sweetened Up Favourite: Browned-Butter Vanilla Caramel Corn

Confession: I consider popcorn to be a legitimate meal choice. Not for every night {give me some credit}, but there are definitely evenings where my dinner consists of a big bowl of air-popped popcorn, a bowl of vegetables {for good measure}, and a glass of wine… or two.

Sometimes it’s nice to switch it up, however, and change the traditionally salty snack into a sweet treat; or in this case, a rather decadent one.

Enter: Browned-Butter Vanilla Caramel Corn. It’s crispy and crunchy and full of melt-in-your-mouth goodness. There’s an element of richness from the browned butter, but it’s the double dose of vanilla that sets this version apart from the standard sticky treat.

So call it dessert, call it a snack, or if you can’t help yourself, call it dinner. Call it what you want, but just do what you’ve got to do — make a batch.

Browned-Butter Vanilla Caramel Corn
Makes 10 cups

Ingredients:
10 cups plain, air popped popcorn
½ cup salted butter
1cups golden yellow sugar (light brown sugar)
¼ cup golden corn syrup
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and line two extra-large cookie sheets with parchment. Divide the popcorn between the two cookie sheets and set aside.

2. In a large, deep saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Bring to a boil and let cook for about three minutes, or until the butter becomes foamy and turns a deep golden colour. Add the sugar and corn syrup, and whisk until the sugar is melted and the mixture is boiling. Let it boil, without stirring, for three minutes; remove from heat and whisk in the baking soda and vanillas, return to heat, and whisk for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and drizzle the caramel over the two sheets of popcorn, distributing as evenly as possible. Mix with a large, wide spoon, and place in the preheated oven.

3. Bake for 60 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets and mixing the popcorn every 15–20 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks before storing in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.