Bacon Caramel Corn with Pecans
Created by Chef Angie of Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store (www.wellseasoned.ca).
Salty, sweet - bacony goodness! Perfect with a cold beer, a glass of wine & your favorite movie!
Ingredients
- 8 slices Johnston's Thick-Sliced Bacon cut into ¼” pieces
- ¾ cup un-popped popcorn about 8 cups of air popped popcorn
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar lightly packed
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup pecan pieces toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250º F.
- In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon pieces to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and reserve the bacon drippings.
- While your bacon cooks, air pop the popcorn into a large bowl & set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat & add 2 Tbsp reserved bacon drippings. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Then, without stirring, 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 evenly over the popcorn, stirring to coat the popcorn, add the bacon & pecans – stir to combine.
- Transfer the coated popcorn onto two, parchment lined sheet pans. Bake the caramel corn for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Remove the caramel corn from the oven allow it to cool completely before breaking it into pieces and serving.
