Homemade Caramel Popcorn with Bacon
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| Homemade Caramel Popcorn with Bacon - Photo by JayDi Photography |
"I made popcorn with bacon fat!" These were the words that
jumped off of the page and made me finally brave enough to try the
strange combination of caramel and bacon. I'm sure you've noticed
that over the last few years, we've heard about candied bacon, that
maple doughnut with bacon, and other confections. I've always been
tempted to try...But this time, I just had to. I love popcorn, and
caramel corn and I've been looking for a simple recipe that doesn't call
for cream in the caramel, because I don't normally have cream at home.
The beauty of this recipe is that it's easy, quick and calls for items
you'd have in your pantry. Plus, it's versatile. If you don't want
bacon, or are making for a function where people can't eat pork, you
could substitute peanuts, or almond or any nut that you'd like. I've
made this a few times already, some of those instances by popular
demand. It's been a huge hit every time. It becomes addicting! Enjoy!
Homemade Caramel Popcorn with Bacon
Prep Time: 15 minCook Time: 1 hour 20 min
Ingredients:
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup unpopped popcorn
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup unpopped popcorn
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250ºF.
In a large sauté pan set over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until a majority of the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon pieces to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve the bacon drippings.
Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved drippings, plus the vegetable oil, to a large stock pot over medium heat. I use my Stir Crazy Popcorn popper. It would also work fine with an air popper, just omit the oil and bacon fat. You'll still get that delectable bacon flavour with the bits infused in the caramel.
Add the popcorn to the pot and cover it. Once you hear the first kernel pop, remove the pot from the heat for 1 minute. Return the covered pot to the heat, shaking it over the flame until all of the kernels have popped. (It may take up to 5 minutes for all of the popcorn to pop.) Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl, sprinkle in the cooked bacon pieces, tossing to combine, and set the bowl aside. I prefer using a large plastic bowl over a glass bowl. It gives me more time to work with the caramel. I found because the glass bowl was cold, the caramel hardened a lot quicker.
Caramel:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Then allow the mixture to boil, undisturbed, for 4 minutes. Remove the caramel from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract. (The caramel will bubble vigorously once you add the vanilla.)
Immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn, stirring to coat the popcorn and bacon.
Transfer the coated popcorn into two 9x13-inch shallow baking pans.
Bake the caramel corn for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Remove the caramel corn from the oven and spread it onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to cool completely before breaking it into pieces and serving.
In a large sauté pan set over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until a majority of the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon pieces to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve the bacon drippings.
Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved drippings, plus the vegetable oil, to a large stock pot over medium heat. I use my Stir Crazy Popcorn popper. It would also work fine with an air popper, just omit the oil and bacon fat. You'll still get that delectable bacon flavour with the bits infused in the caramel.
Add the popcorn to the pot and cover it. Once you hear the first kernel pop, remove the pot from the heat for 1 minute. Return the covered pot to the heat, shaking it over the flame until all of the kernels have popped. (It may take up to 5 minutes for all of the popcorn to pop.) Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl, sprinkle in the cooked bacon pieces, tossing to combine, and set the bowl aside. I prefer using a large plastic bowl over a glass bowl. It gives me more time to work with the caramel. I found because the glass bowl was cold, the caramel hardened a lot quicker.
Caramel:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Then allow the mixture to boil, undisturbed, for 4 minutes. Remove the caramel from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract. (The caramel will bubble vigorously once you add the vanilla.)
Immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn, stirring to coat the popcorn and bacon.
Transfer the coated popcorn into two 9x13-inch shallow baking pans.
Bake the caramel corn for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Remove the caramel corn from the oven and spread it onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to cool completely before breaking it into pieces and serving.
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