Gingerbread Caramel Corn

Homemade caramel corn is great for holiday gifting. This spiced variation makes a large batch that can be packaged in bags, boxes, mugs, tins or whatever you can find. Adding cinnamon and ginger gives it a gingerbread flavour, but you could leave the spices out for straight-up caramel corn, or add a squirt of sriracha instead (and in place of the vanilla) for sweet-spicy caramel corn. Using dark brown sugar and/or molasses gives it a darker colour and molasses-y (gingerbread-like) flavour, more like Cracker Jack.

Ingredients

8-10 cups popped popcorn
1 cup (250 mL) packed brown sugar (golden or dark)
1/2 cup (125 mL) corn syrup or Rogers Golden syrup
1/4 cup (59 mL) butter
1 Tbsp (15 mL) molasses (optional)
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) powdered ginger

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250˚F and put the popcorn in a big bowl. (Spray the bowl with nonstick spray first, if you like.)

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, molasses and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and boil without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla — it will foam up at first. Stir in the cinnamon and ginger and quickly pour over the popcorn; stir with a heatproof spatula or tongs to coat well.

Spread out onto a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cool and break apart. Makes lots!