Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn

 I saw a post somewhere today (maybe on DailyCandy?) advertising Bourbon Bacon Caramel Corn and couldn't stop thinking about it all afternoon. When thinking about what to have for dinner, all I could think of was sweet and bacony crunchy popcorn. These thoughts were fueled by the actual presence of bacon in my refrigerator and some popcorn kernels that had been sitting in a Tupperware container on my counter since 2 ears of dried corn showed up in my farm share last summer.

A search on google only found the product for sale, already made. I was only able to find a recipe for caramel corn and used this for my starting point.

I haven't made popcorn from without a microwave since I was young. It was fun to relive these memories. Did anyone else sneak homemade popcorn in brown paper bags into the movies when they were younger? 

Some things I learned while making this recipe:
1. 1/3 to 1/2 cups of kernal popcorn yields 3.5 quarts
2. Don't try to reheat unpopped kernel - the ones that do pop are sadly disappointing, they half pop, kinda like those fireworks that go up and explode into one spark and make you say "Booooooo" instead of "Ooooooooooo"
3. Don't try to taste test boiling caramel sauce, it's still really hot even after you've removed it from the stove for 5 minutes.
4. Try not to burn your bacon. I just got a new griddle. It captured and held heat so well the bacon was done before I knew it.

Popcorn and Bacon

3-5 strips bacon
3 Tablespoons canola, peanut, or grapeseed oil (high smoke point oil)
1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels
1 3-quart covered saucepan

Instructions
1. Cook the bacon until crispy, place on paper towels to remove grease, cool.
2. Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat.
3. Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.
4. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. This step first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.
5. Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl. With this technique, nearly all of the kernels pop and nothing burns.

6.  Crumble bacon. Add bacon to popcorn and toss.

If you don't want to add the caramel and bacon you can....
7. Add butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the now empty, but hot pan.
8. Salt to taste.
 

Makes 2 quarts, a nice amount for two people, or for one hungry one.

Bourbon Caramel Sauce
1/2  cup real butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup (or light corn syrup)
1 to 2 Tablespoon Bourbon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Bring butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a boil, stirring constantly.
3. Reduce heat and boil for 5 minutes; remove from heat.

4. Stir in boubon, vanilla, salt, and baking soda and mix.
5. Pour over popped corn and bacon.

6. Spread coated popcorn into (2) 11" X 9" X 2" baking pans.


7. Bake in a 250 degree oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

8. Cool for 1 hour, then break up before storing.