A Little Munchie

It's that crispy crunchy time of year and I'm sure you're all wondering where my pumpkin recipes are. If not, you should be. Though I do love a good pumpkin recipe, the market is a little over saturated right now. I was at Aldi the other day and they literally had a whole wall devoted to pumpkin shit. Pumpkin cheese? What does that even mean?! I'm all about a pumpkin spice latte and all the white girls in yoga pants who will tell you it's their favorite thing about fall, but enough is enough. Have no fear, I may put something pumpkin-y up, but for now, I'm over it. There's more to autumn than orange squash.

Personally, I love a good crock-pot stew and a scary movie on chilly October evenings. That being said, I also have a wicked sweet tooth, and I'm trying not to eat like a fatty until at least November. Caramel corn was my solution, plus I had the munchies and conveniently had all the ingredients for this impulse bake.

Crunchy Munch Caramel Corn 

Just like Garrett's only without the pigeon swarms outside. 

You will need the following: 

4-5 c popped popcorn (not microwave, gross)

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1/4 c maple or breakfast syrup (whatever you have)

1/2 tsp baking soda

dash of pie spice or cinnamon (opt.)
pinch of salt

Step 1: Line two cookie sheets with buttered parchment paper. Carefully remove unpopped kernels from popcorn, the last thing you want is an emergency trip to the dentist. 

Step 2: Simmer syrup, sugar, butter, salt and spice until big bubbles form, stirring occasionally. Now, let sit for five minutes and DO NOT STIR. 

Step 3: Remove from heat and add baking soda, it will start to get real foamy and you'll want to work fast otherwise it will turn into a sticky mess. 

Step 4: Mix in popcorn little bits at a time and slather evenly with hot caramel. Ideally you don't want too much caramel on your popcorn or it won't be crunchy. Less is more. Think of it more as a glaze. 

Step 5: Turn popcorn out onto lined cookie sheets and let cool completely by an open window. 

Get crafty with it. I used some to trim a cake!