Salted Caramel Popcorn

Tis' the season for caramel popcorn! These make a great, holiday gift item! These are quite addicting and I will tell you this...this caramel popcorn will be the sweetest thing that I ever make! I've tried fooling around with this recipe using less sugar, but it just doesn't taste the same. This is just one of those things where sweet and salty really takes the cake (or should I say, takes the popcorn?).

INGREDIENTS:
2 bags (3 ounces each) of unsalted popped microwavable popcorn

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE:
2 sticks (4 ounces each) of salted REAL butter

2 cups of GOOD dark brown sugar

1/2 cup of light corn syrup

3/4 tsp of salt

1/8 tsp of cinnamon

1/8 tsp of ground nutmeg

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tsp of baking soda

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
foil

wax paper


INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.

1. Take your popped, popcorn and place them evenly on two baking sheets. "Toast" them for about 5-7 minutes. Remove and then place all of your popcorn in a large mixing bowl.
2. While your popcorn is in the oven, begin making your caramel sauce. Place your butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon, into a medium sized saucepan. Stir well and allow it to come to a rolling boil for a full 5 minutes. Do not disturb it, or try to stir it during this point.
3. Remove from heat, and add in your vanilla extract and baking soda. GENTLY, stir. Be careful, because your caramel will begin to bubble, and that's why it's very important that your saucepan isn't too small.
4. Line your two baking sheets with foil.
5. Pour your caramel sauce over your popcorn and mix well.
6. Evenly distribute your caramel popcorn between your two baking sheets, and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir your caramel popcorn, rotate the pans, and then continue to bake for another 15 minutes.
7. Place popcorn on wax paper to dry for at least 1-2 hours.

NOTES:

- Use a medium size saucepan, to avoid any spillage or boiling over of your caramel sauce
- Use name brand dark brown sugar. I find that if I use a generic brand, sometimes the caramel sauce
seems gritty
- Use less sugar if it's too sweet to your liking