Popcorn Brittle

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 14 cups freshly popped popcorn (made from 1/2 cup popcorn kernels and 2 tablespoons canola oil)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing
• 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 lightly butter 2 large (15 x 11-inch)
• 2 baking sheets and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
• 3 working in batches, place 2 cups popcorn in food processor. pulse until crushed into small pieces. do not overprocess. repeat with remaining popcorn.
• 4 stir sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is simmering. clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan and continue heating undisturbed until temperature reaches 270f (about 10 to 15 minutes). mixture will boil vigorously.
• 5 stir in butter, molasses and vanilla. continue heating until temperature reaches 290f (between soft- and hard-crack stages).
• 6 remove pan from heat; stir in crushed popcorn. working quickly, pour mixture over prepared sheets. using the buttered rubber spatula, press evenly to flatten like peanut brittle. cool to room temperature on a wire rack and break into chunks.