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1
Pop popcorn and remove any unpopped kernals. Set aside. You should have approx 20 cups of popped popcorn.
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2
Place two or three baking trays or cookie trays on your bench top. You'll spread the hot caramel coated popcorn onto these later.
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3
Use the largest saucepan/stockpot or boiler that you can find. Add the butter, brown sugar and syrup.
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4
Over heat, bring to the boil and boil for approx 4-5 minutes. Stir fairly constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Add the bicarb soda and the vanilla essence. Stir well.
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5
Add half of the popcorn and quickly stir to coat in the hot caramel mix. Add remaining popcorn and nuts(if you have chosen to add them as an optional extra). Stir thoroughly to cover the popcorn evenly. Work quickly.
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6
Spread the popcorn over your baking dishes or cookie trays. Break up clumps of popcorn with your wooden spoon.
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7
After about a minute the popcorn should be cool enough to handle carefully. Break up the popcorn to smaller sized pieces.
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8
As a variation you can roll popcorn into balls the size of a scoop of ice-cream and push them into ice-cream cones. Great for childrens parties. (The flat based cones work best for this- much easier to place on your bench to cool).
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9
Cool and store in an airtight container. Will keep for about a week (if it lasts that long without being gobbled up!).
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10
UPDATE: I made these on a wet and very humid day and the popcorn was 'sticky'. I haven't had this problem before and have made this popcorn recipe a dozen times. Placed in a baking dish and heated at 120u00b0C for about 20 minutes. Stirring every 5 minutes or so. Really took away the stickiness and made the popcorn crunchy.
