Oven Baked Caramel Corn

Something I love to do is cook or bake or anything that will fall into that category for that matter. Before leaving for his mission, my friend suggested I check out his sister-in-laws' blog because she posts recipes on this new blog of hers. So with that inspiration kick, I want to start posting more recipes. No, this won't be a food blog but it will include more food. I also want to post recipes because I struggle in finding certain recipes when I need them and I'd like to try to gather them or keep them all in one convenient place You'd think I'd just create a recipe book but to include pictures is better I think.
Last semester at school, I thought about how good caramel popcorn sounded. I hoped on Pinterest and scrolled through their recipes until the results were no longer caramel popcorn. Narrowed down the top appealing pictures/descriptions and chose one. Then I started making it while we watched a movie and it was finished right before the movie ended, go figure. But hey, it was still good. So, recently I've been wanting to do it again and so here it is.

Oven Baked Caramel Corn

Ingredients:

- 16 cups popped popcorn (3 microwavable bags)

-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

-1 cup brown sugar, packed

-1/2 cup light corn syrup

-2 teaspoons vanilla 

1. Preheat oven to 250F degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat. 2. Place popped popcorn on baking sheet and set aside.

3. In a saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and light corn syrup. On medium-high heat, bring to a rapid boil and boil for five minutes, stirring. Remove from burner and stir in vanilla extract. 

4. Pour caramel over popcorn mixture and stir to coat. Put in oven for 15 minutes. Take it out and stir it. Repeat this every 15 minutes for an hour. 

5. Let cool on baking sheet. Once caramel corn is cooled, break it up and enjoy.

*Recipe found on deliciouslysprinkled.com*

This recipe was tweaked a little. The original had you add nuts and instead of 2 teaspoons vanilla, you put in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon butter extract. But butter extract wasn't something I had plus I didn't want to go out of my way to get some when this is the only recipe I'd use it in.

I remember enlisting my friend P's help in pulling it out and stiring it. He was a good sport about it. Plus the closer it got to being done, the more we justified eating the popcorn that accidently dropped on the table. It is really good and was worth the wait and process. I wish I had a picture of this. Next time for sure.