Recipe: Caramel Corn

I am warning you now, this recipe is deadly. Don't come whining to me if you make this and then a day later have a flash of clarity where you realize you have just munched your way through two sticks of butter. I don't want to hear any complaining because you will have enjoyed every crunchy, sweet, melt in your mouth bite. Go on - I dare you.

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 quarts air popped popcorn (I don't have any idea how much that is - I just popped a whole bunch)

1. Preheat oven to 250. Place popcorn in a very large bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.
3. Place in two large shallow baking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces. (I was eating this waaaaay before it cooled. In fact, I took a sample every time I stirred it - strictly for quality control purposes of course.)