Salted Caramel Chocolate Popcorn

Gooey, buttery, salted caramel sauce enrobes the popcorn and nuts and is then drizzled with melted chocolate and caramel. A popcorn delight with all the best flavors and textures. A stand-out treat!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Popcorn

6 - 8 cups popped corn, with unpopped kernels removed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pecans, cashews or almonds (or combination of)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup light corn Karo syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

dash of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 ounces white chocolate, melted

3 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate,melted

-In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated and sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until it reaches just below the soft ball temperature (no higher than 234 degrees) on a candy thermometer.

-Place caramel popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Add nuts and sprinkle with a dash of salt and mix. Pour hot caramel sauce over the popcorn and stir until most of the popped corn is covered with the sauce. Spread the caramel corn out on a large piece of waxed or parchment paper and allow to cool completely.

-Break the caramel corn into smaller pieces. Melt each chocolate separately in the mircrowave on high for 30 seconds. Allow to rest for a minute or two and stir. If chocolate is not completely melted, repeat for 30 seconds on high. Stir until chocolate pieces are completely melted. Drizzle each chocolate separately over the caramel corn, without stirring and let sit and allow to cool completely.

-Serve in a large bowl or divide into individual servings and place in serving bowls. Makes 10 - 12 servings.

Velvety caramel sauce is poured and stirred in to coat the popcorn.

Let the caramel popcorn and nuts cool to room temperature then drizzle with the melted chocolates.

Stir the caramel sauce into the popcorn until it covers most of the popcorn.

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

*To remove un-popped kernels from the popped corn, place the popcorn in a large bowl or brown paper bag. Shake the popcorn so all the un-popped kernels fall to the bottom. Then with your hands, remove the popped corn carefully from the top into another container leaving the un-popped kernels behind on the bottom then discard them.

*When making the salted caramel sauce, stir very frequently. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the softball stage once it begins to bubble. Keep the heat steady at medium to medium-high heat and remove promptly from the heat as soon as the temperature on your candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees. This is meant to be a soft caramel that is easy to eat and chew.