Bacon Bourbon Caramel Popcorn Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 250º. Melt 1 cup of butter over medium heat. Mix in brown sugar, corn syrup and sea salt and then stir until boiling at the edges. Lower the heat slightly and let boil until the caramel is 250º. Remove from heat and add the baking soda and bourbon. Once fully incorporated, stir in the bacon. Divide the popcorn into two very lightly greased roasting pans and coat with the caramel. Mix well and then put the popcorn into the preheated oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, mixing every 10-15 minutes so the kernels of popped corn is coated in bourbon bacon coating. Once done, pour onto either parchment paper or wax paper to cool and break into pieces. Refrigerate.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place the popcorn and pecans in a large mixing bowl. Combine the sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 4 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the bourbon and baking soda. Pour over the popcorn and stir well to coat completely. Divide the popcorn in an even layer between the 2 baking sheets.
• Bake, gently stirring and rotating the pans about halfway through (after 8 to 10 minutes), until the popcorn is mostly dry and the caramel coating is crisp, 15 to 20 minutes total. Cool completely on the baking sheets before breaking up and serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Place popped popcorn in a very large bowl. Prepare 2 sheet pans with nonstick spray and line with aluminum foil.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, par-cook the bacon and render the bacon fat. Once the bacon has cooked, strain the bacon fat from the bacon pieces and reserve the fat. Transfer the cooked bacon pieces to paper towels and continue to drain the excess fat. Then add to popcorn.
• In the saucepan already used, add the butter and bacon fat (add more bacon fat as needed). Heat until the butter has fully melted.
• Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil and stir constantly. Continue to boil without stirring for 4 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.
• Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat evenly.
• Divide the mixture evenly between sheet pans and bake, stirring every 15 minutes for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.
• Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a pan over medium heat until all the fat has rendered out, and all the pieces are well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer into a strainer set over a bowl to catch the excess grease. Let bacon cool to room temperature.
• Place popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Add cooled bacon and mix lightly until evenly distributed. Set aside until needed.
• Pour white sugar into a small saucepan and set over medium heat. As soon as the sugar begins to melt and turn clear around the edges, carefully shake and swirl the pan. Do not try to stir the sugar with a utensil! Just occasionally shake and swirl the pan, which will mix the still granulated sugar into the melted sugar.
• When almost all the sugar is melted, and the mixture is turning a light amber color, reduce the heat to low.
• Once all the sugar is melted, turn off the heat, and add cold butter cubes to the pan all at once. Carefully shake and swirl the pan until the butter melts into the sugar. Do not use a whisk yet.
• Add water and salt and use a whisk to mix until a smooth, thin caramel sauce forms. Some of the sugar may temporarily harden when you add the water, but just keep whisking until everything dissolves and you've achieved a smooth sauce. If it's not melting, turn the heat on low, and continue until it does.
• Remove from heat and quickly, but carefully, drizzle caramel sauce over the bacon and popcorn while tossing with a lightly buttered spatula. Continue tossing until the popcorn is evenly coated with the caramel.
• Lightly butter your hands, and as soon as the mixture has cooled down enough to stick together, form it into balls. Don't squeeze the balls too hard as you form them, or you will compress the popcorn and it will not be as light in texture. Transfer balls to a pan to cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°. Place popcorn in a large bowl. In a large saucepan, bring bourbon to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes. Add butter; cook on low until melted. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt. Bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Quickly pour over popcorn and mix well., Transfer to two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake 1 hour or until dry, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from pans to waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight containers.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250°F. Line 2 (15x10x1-inch) pans with cooking parchment paper.
• In large bowl, mix popcorn, bacon, pecans and apples. Set aside.
• In 3-quart heavy saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar and syrup to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in bourbon, vanilla, salt and baking soda. Pour over popcorn mixture; toss to coat evenly. Spread in pans.
• Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool at least 1 hour before serving. Store in refrigerator.