Maple Caramel Corn

makes about 9 cups

1/2 cup unsalted butter; plus additional to butter bowl and baking dish

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup raw sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Butter a 9" x 13" baking dish and a large bowl.

2. Pop the popcorn using your favorite method. (I used an air popper.) Place the popcorn in the buttered bowl. (If using an air popper, don't pop directly into the buttered bowl, otherwise you may have to fish out the unpopped kernels, as I had to.)

3. In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter with the maple syrup, sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and allow it to cook, without stirring, for five minutes. After five minutes, carefully add in the baking soda and vanilla and stir to combine -- the mixture will steam and foam up.

4. Carefully pour about one cup of the sugar mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat. Add in the remaining sugar mixture and stir again, ensuring that all the popcorn is evenly coated.

5. Transfer the popcorn into the buttered baking dish.

6. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before transferring into an airtight container. The maple caramel corn can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three weeks (good luck making it last that long without eating it!), or frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to six months.