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| Irresistible |
Caramel Sauce
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup of Brown sugar*
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/4 a teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/2 a teaspoon of Salt
*A note on brown sugar: I actually don't ever buy brown sugar. I just add a bit of molasses to white sugar and mix well (1 cup of sugar to 1 tablespoon of molasses is a good ratio). It's way cheaper, and that way you never have to throw away a brick of brown sugar or wonder if you have any in your pantry.
Instructions:
Melt the butter over medium heat
Add sugar and stir until well mixed
Turn up the heat a bit until the mixture starts to boil. You want it to boil for about 4 minutes (keep stirring!)
Take the pot off the heat and add vanilla, salt and baking soda. It will bubble up like crazy so don't get scared, just keep stirring until you have a nice thick sauce.
I suggest making your popcorn first, so it is ready to go while your caramel sauce is warm (I make popcorn on the stove using a tablespoon of coconut oil and about 1/2 a cup of kernels). Pour the sauce over the popcorn and mix well. Spread on two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake in a 250 degree oven for about an hour, giving it stir a few times. Remove and let cool completely.
Once it cools, I like to drizzle melted dark chocolate over all of the popcorn and sprinkle with kosher salt (this process makes a Jackson Pollock type mess, so I cover a large section of our dining room table with parchment paper and go to town). Let it cool at room temperature or you can put it in the fridge if you have room. Once it cools, break up the popcorn and store in an airtight container.
Tips for melting chocolate: I have a large bag of dark chocolate chips that I keep in the freezer. I temper the chocolate in the microwave by putting a handful of chips in a glass bowl and letting the microwave do the work. Every 15 seconds or so I give it a stir. The whole process should take under a minute for all of the chips to be melted.
