Popcorn Crunch

This caramel popcorn crunch is basically homemade Cracker Jack with better nuts and an optional chocolate finish. Popped corn and a generous mix of pecans and whole almonds get coated in a sugar-and-corn-syrup caramel, then spread on a sheet to cool into shatteringly crispy clusters.

The caramel stage is everything. You’re boiling sugar, corn syrup, and margarine together for 10 to 15 minutes while stirring constantly. The “light caramel color” cue is your target. Too pale and the caramel tastes like plain sugar. Too dark and it turns bitter. Look for a warm amber, about the color of honey, and pull it off the heat immediately.

Stirring constantly during the boil prevents hot spots that can scorch the sugar. Caramel goes from golden to burnt in seconds, so don’t walk away from the stove. Once it hits that amber color, work fast to fold in the popcorn and nuts before the caramel starts to set.

Pro Tips

• Pop the popcorn ahead of time and remove any unpopped kernels. Biting into a hard kernel in a caramel cluster ruins the whole experience.
• Grease the cookie sheet and the spatula you use to spread the mixture. Caramel sticks to everything.
• Let the crunch cool completely before breaking apart. Warm caramel bends; cool caramel snaps. That snap is what you want.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Humidity makes caramel sticky and soft within hours.

Variations

• Drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled clusters or dip individual pieces for a chocolate-caramel combo.
• Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the caramel right as you pull it off the heat.
• Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the clusters while the caramel is still tacky for a sweet-salty contrast.