Halloween Caramel Popcorn

• 12 cups popped popcorn (¾ cup corn)
• ¾ cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of a large roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour the popped popcorn into the pan.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter, stir in brown sugar, and cook 2 minutes until the brown sugar has partially dissolved. Stir in corn syrup and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook 5 minutes without stirring.

Remove the caramel from the heat, add vanilla, and stir to mix. Slowly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn. Spray a large wooden spoon with nonstick cooking spray and gently stir the caramel into the popcorn. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to distribute the caramel that melts to the bottom of the pan.

After 1 hour, remove the caramel corn from the oven, stir well, and set it aside to cool. Break it apart with your hands when the caramel corn is warm to the touch; then finish cooling. When the caramel popcorn is completely cool, divide it among individual cellophane bags and tie them with orange and black ribbon.

Yield: 6 quarts caramel popcorn